Department for Transport

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Vacancies

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the shortage of HGV drivers across the UK; and what consultation has taken place with representatives of the road haulage industry in connection with that assessment.

Trudy Harrison: The Department for Transport is working across Government and with the road haulage industry to address the current HGV driver shortage, which is an issue affecting many countries worldwide. For example, the International Road Transport Union predicts a gap of 185,000 drivers by 2027 in Germany. Current trade association estimates of the UK driver shortage range from 85,000 to 90,000. The current shortage includes both a chronic, long-term, component and an acute element. The Office for National Statistics estimates the number of drivers to be 268,000 in the 12 months ending June 2021, which is 39,000 fewer than the year ending June 2019.The Department has held regular meetings with the road haulage industry and trade unions regarding driver shortages and its impact on supply chains The Government has taken decisive action to address the acute driver shortage, with 30 specific measures already taken to support driver training, increase the availability of driving tests and improve the standard and availability of roadside facilities. These measures are working. There is no backlog of HGV licence applications and we are seeing over a thousand more people than normal apply for a licence each week.

Buses: Driving Licences

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of delays in processing Passenger Carrying Vehicle licences by the DVLA on the availability of bus drivers in (a) Kent and (b) the UK.

Trudy Harrison: During October the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) focussed extra resource on vocational driving licence applications to support the driver shortage. This has been successful with routine applications for vocational driving licences, including for passenger carrying vehicles, now being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. In the seven days to 12 November, nearly 60% more vocational licences were processed compared to a similar period in 2019. It may take longer to process cases where medical investigations are needed.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Mr Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the £335 million allocated in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 for zero-emission buses, how much of this funding will be made available in the next financial year.

Mr Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many zero-emission buses will be purchased using the £335 million allocated in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 for this purpose.

Mr Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the £355 million allocated in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 for zero-emission buses, when he expects production of these buses to begin.

Trudy Harrison: As set out in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 £355 million of new funding has been made available for zero emission buses. £150 million of this funding has been made available for 2021-22. The Department intends to allocate this funding to support to the Zero Emission Bus Region Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, taking the total funding available for the scheme to £270 million in the financial year 2021 to 2022.£70.8 million of this funding has been awarded from the ZEBRA to five local transport authorities: Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, Leicester City Council, Kent County Council, Milton Keynes Council and Warrington Borough Council. The Department is in the process of formally awarding funding to these areas. A further 17 local transport authorities are working to produce business cases under the standard process of the scheme. The Department will award funding to successful business cases under the standard process in Spring 2022. As set out in guidance for the ZEBRA scheme all zero emission buses should come into service no later than two years after funding has been awarded.The remaining £205 million funding announced in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 will be available over the Spending Review period. The Department will provide further details on how this funding will be used in due course.

Public Transport: North West

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) affordability and (b) availability of public transport in (i) Southport and (ii) the North West.

Trudy Harrison: During this Parliament the Government will invest £1.2 billion of new funding to deliver improvements in bus services, fares and infrastructure in England outside London.We have also developed the core of a new timetable for rail services in and around Manchester, in collaboration with Network Rail and Transport for the North, to provide more punctual, reliable journeys for passengers from December 2022. This includes services from Southport to both the north and south sides of Manchester City Centre.There are a number of railcards available that offer discounts against most rail fares, including the 16-17 and 26-30 Millennial Railcard, and the new Veterans Railcard.

Taxis: Regulation

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 23 June 2020 to Question 59615 on Taxis: Licensing and the Statutory Taxi and Private Vehicle Standards guidance published in July 2021, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reform taxi and private hire regulation to reflect the emergence of ride-hailing apps.

Trudy Harrison: The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued last year and is supporting a Private Members’ Bill (Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill) which would further enhance the protection the licensing regime provides to the public. A consultation on updated best practice guidance for licensing authorities will be launched shortly.The Government is committed to introducing legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to reform the regulation of the sector.

Taxis: Regulation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer on 15 September 2021 to question 47036 on Taxis: Licensing, what plans her Department has to reform regulation of the taxi and private hire vehicle sector; and what plans she has to publish proposed reforms.

Trudy Harrison: The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued last year and is supporting a Private Members’ Bill (Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill) which would further enhance the protection the licensing regime provides to the public. A consultation on updated best practice guidance for licensing authorities will be launched shortly.The Government is committed to introducing legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to reform the regulation of the sector.

Motability: Electric Vehicles

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to encourage people on Motability to choose electric vehicles; and if additional support is available for the installation of an electric charge point for those with a disability.

Trudy Harrison: We are committed to ensuring an accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging network and that inclusively designed chargepoints are available for all consumers. That is why we are partnering with national disability charity Motability to commission the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop accessibility standards for public EV chargepoints across the country. Guidance will consider aspects such as kerb height, adequate space between bollards and chargepoints being of a height suitable for wheelchair users. By ensuring consistent standards, drivers will be able to more easily identify which chargepoints are suitable for their needs.We are consulting on introducing accessibility requirements at EV chargepoints via the Future of Transport Regulatory Review. Consultation will close on 22nd November.Government is supporting consumers buying EVs through plug-in car grant which provides up to £2,500, or plug-in van grant of up to £3,000, towards an eligible vehicle.  Individuals with an eligible vehicle are also able to benefit from the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, a grant that provides a 75% (up to £350) contribution to the cost of one chargepoint and its installation.

Shipping: Employment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2021 to Question 65406 on Shipping: Employment, if he will provide figures for UK domiciled (a) ratings and (b) officers employed on tonnage tax qualifying vessels registered on non-UK flags in each year since 2003.

Robert Courts: The answer to this question is the same as that already provided in answer to UIN65405.

High Speed Two: Compulsory Purchase

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of July 14 2021 to Question 29790 on High Speed Two: Compulsory Purchase, how many residential properties have been compulsory purchased by HS2 Ltd as part of plans to construct HS2 2b.

Andrew Stephenson: HS2 Ltd is yet to deposit a Hybrid Bill for Phase 2b, and therefore has not acquired any properties on that part of the route under Compulsory Purchase powers. However, the company has confirmed that, as of October 2021, it has acquired 609 properties through Statutory and Discretionary Schemes. These are properties that have been acquired at the previous owners’ request.

Midland Metro: Safety

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date his Department became aware of safety problems with the Midland Metro.

Trudy Harrison: The Department for Transport was first made aware of safety issues regarding the tram vehicles in June 2021, but had not been informed of the impact it would have on services, (full service suspension), until 12 November 2021 when the issues re-emerged.

Bridges: Northwich

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the strain on the single-lane bridge crossing the River Weaver at Winnington in Northwich; and whether his Department has plans for that bridge to be replaced with a new bridge that has greater capacity to accommodate traffic in both directions simultaneously.

Trudy Harrison: The Department provided £780,000 from the Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund to Cheshire West and Chester Council towards maintenance of the Winnington Swing Bridge. It is for the Council to consider and develop improvements to its highway network, including widening or replacing the single-lane bridge crossing the River Weaver at Winnington in Northwich.

Electric Vehicles

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what cross-Departmental steps he is taking to help make electric cars more affordable for UK consumers.

Trudy Harrison: We offer a range of measures to support the purchase of electric cars in the UK. The Plug in Car Grant (PiCG) provides up to £2,500 for those making the switch to electric driving. Government also offers generous tax incentives, including favourable company car tax rates confirmed until FY24/25, which can save drivers over £2,000 a year. We have also put in place a tax regime that rewards the cleanest vehicles. Building on the £1.9 billion from Spending Review 2020, the Government has committed an additional £620 million to support the transition to electric vehicles. This will support greater uptake of zero emission vehicles for greener journeys. Electric car drivers also benefit from comparatively cheaper running costs. Once fuel costs and tax incentives are factored in, we expect the total cost of ownership to reach parity during the 2020s, compared to petrol and diesel cars. It costs from 1p per mile to run a new electric vehicle, compared to around 10p per mile for new diesel or petrol vehicles.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to make electric car charging points more widely accessible.

Trudy Harrison: We are investing over £1.3 billion in accelerating the roll out of charging infrastructure over the next four years to give more drivers the confidence to make the switch to electric driving. This funding will target support on rapid chargepoints on motorways and major roads, and installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. Our grant schemes and the £400m Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see thousands more electric vehicle charge-points installed across the UK.In the forthcoming Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy government will define our vision for the continued roll-out of a world-leading charging infrastructure network across the UK. The strategy will focus on how we will unlock the chargepoint rollout needed to enable the transition from early adoption to mass market uptake of electric vehicles and to achieve the 2030/2035 phase out successfully. It will clearly establish government’s expectations for the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the planning and deployment of charging infrastructure

Motorways

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2021 to Question 70323 on Motorways, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department's £5 million national public information campaign entitled Go left.

Trudy Harrison: The first wave of National Highways’ ‘Go Left’ campaign, which commenced in Spring 2021, has been fully evaluated via the Government Communication Service (GCS) evaluation framework which includes pre and post campaign tracking research. Ahead of ‘go live’, the campaign creative was tested though online customer focus groups with a number of different groups of drivers – young, older, female, commuters and disabled drivers. National Highways also tested the creative with key stakeholders such as organisations in the recovery industry.National Highways measured driver awareness and confidence levels around what to do if they break down on a motorway, with and without a hard shoulder, before, during and after the campaign through a campaign survey working with ICM Unlimited.Evaluation showed that 48% spontaneously recalled the campaign, which was mostly driven by the TV advert. 89% thought that the adverts were clear and easy to understand, with 89% reporting the ads told them useful information and 58% saying they were told something new. After being shown the advert, the key message taken away was that they should keep moving left (62%).The second wave of the campaign (in Autumn 2021) will also be evaluated via the GCS evaluation framework, this will include pre and post campaign surveys to measure driver awareness and effectiveness of the campaign. National Highways has commissioned audience research ahead of the second wave, which has showed a high level of retention for the core campaign messages.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many installers (a) have been and (b) are waiting to be paid for completed work under the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Greg Hands: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy: Prices

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to implement proposals for households to switch automatically onto the cheapest energy tariffs.

Greg Hands: The Government is committed to a competitive retail energy market, which delivers choice and value for money for customers. When we came to office in 2010 the number of suppliers had fallen to just six, which meant that market competition was seen to be insufficient. We want to ensure the market can facilitate competition and helping households on more expensive tariffs make energy savings. We will undertake extensive qualitative research and testing to understand how consumers might experience and respond to the intervention.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households with vouchers issued under the Green Homes Grant scheme are waiting for work to be completed.

Greg Hands: Official statistics published on 18th November for the Green Homes Grant Voucher scheme describe the status of applications prior to 5th November. As of 5th November, out of 57,684 vouchers issued, 46,213 measures had been installed. The next statistical release will be published on 23rd December 2021.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will extend the deadline for the Green Homes Grant scheme beyond 30 November 2021 for households with a voucher waiting for work to be completed.

Greg Hands: Under the Green Homes Grant Scheme vouchers are issued with a 90 day validity period. Many vouchers have been extended on request. In order to ensure the effective management of the end of the scheme, the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme closure date has been set at 30 November 2021 and this has been communicated to voucher holders and installers. In the main, we do not anticipate allowing vouchers to be valid beyond this date.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of supply chain issues on the construction industry's ability to complete work under the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Greg Hands: BEIS officials are working with industry representatives to better understand the global supply chain issues which are affecting various sectors. This will allow us to continue to support installers on the ground as well as informing further policies in future Government energy efficiency schemes. Following the closure of the Green Homes Grant Voucher scheme we are refocussing efforts and funding on alternative approaches that will maximise the delivery of home retrofits for consumers who are most in need and support the supply chain to keep delivering.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding has been allocated under the Green Homes Grant scheme, by region.

Greg Hands: Official statistics published on 18 November for the Green Homes Grant Voucher scheme describe the status of applications prior to 5th November. Statistics include figures on measures installed and vouchers paid by geographic region.

Ports: Scotland

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received from the Scottish Government on Scottish Ports and their ownership by companies owning larger and potentially competitor ports in England.

Paul Scully: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Scottish Government on a number of issues. Responsibility for investigating individual and market-wide competition issues falls to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority. The CMA has discretion to conduct market studies and investigations as it considers most appropriate.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse in the event that (a) 10 to 25 per cent of Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and (b) 35 to 60 per cent of Bounce Back Loan Scheme borrowers default, in line with his Department's estimates.

Paul Scully: The information requested is currently being updated as part of the Department’s 2020-21 Annual Report and Accounts, which will be published in due course.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what methodology his Department used to calculate the default estimates for the (a) Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and (b) Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Paul Scully: The BEIS 2019-20 Annual Report and Accounts published on 30 September 2020 contained initial estimates of expected credit losses across the Covid-19 loan schemes. These initial indicative loss ranges were based on historic losses observed in prior programmes which most closely resemble the current Covid-19 interventions. Since these estimates were reported, the Department has been working with the British Business Bank to develop analytical and forward-looking expected credit loss models that are compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS 9) and will provide a more sophisticated approach to forecasting future expected credit losses. Revised estimates of expected credit losses will be included in the Department’s 2020-21 Annual Report and Accounts, to be published in due course.

Mathematics: Higher Education

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the amount that the Government has spent on mathematical sciences at higher education institutions in the UK over the last five years; and what comparative assessment he has made between that figure and the G20 average.

George Freeman: The UK is a world leader in Mathematics. British mathematicians publish a large volume of highly regarded work. When compared to international colleagues, British mathematicians have the 5th largest share of publications in the world. When looking at the top 1% of most cited publications, UK mathematicians are responsible for the third largest share. Between Financial Year 2015-2016 and September 2021, EPSRC committed £259.9m to research grants Mathematical Sciences. This includes commitment from the Additional Funding Programme. At this current time, EPSRC are unable to make a direct comparison to international averages.

Hydrogen: Carbon Emissions

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the use of blue hydrogen in achieving net zero.

Greg Hands: Low carbon hydrogen will be vital for meeting our legally-binding commitment to achieving net zero by 2050, with potential to help decarbonise vital UK industry sectors and provide flexible energy across heat, power and transport.The Net Zero Strategy confirms the government’s ‘twin-track’ approach to supporting both electrolytic ‘green’ and carbon capture (CCUS)-enabled ‘blue’ hydrogen production alongside multiple other production routes. Analysis from BEIS and the Climate Change Committee suggests that both routes will be needed to deliver low carbon hydrogen at the required scale and cost.

Natural Gas: Prices

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help protect consumers from rising wholesale gas prices.

Greg Hands: The Government is committed to protecting customers, especially the most vulnerable. The price cap will ensure millions of households pay a fair price for energy this winter. Low income and fuel poor households will continue to be supported with their energy bills through the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with a £140 discount. Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments will also ensure that the most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes over the colder months. Additionally, the Government announced an extra £500 million for local authorities through the new Household Support Fund to help millions with their household bills.

Iron and Steel: Carbon Emissions

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing to help the steel industry to decarbonise.

Lee Rowley: In collaboration with the UK Steel Council, we are considering the implications of the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035’ and the business environment necessary to support the transition.. The Net Zero Strategy sets out how we intend to meet our Carbon Budget 6 ambition of reducing industrial emissions by 63-76% by 2035, compared to the 2019 level. Hydrogen-based steelmaking, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, and electrification are some of the technological approaches being examined as part of this process. We will continue to work with the steel industry regarding its decarbonisation.

Employment Bill

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will include in the forthcoming Employment Bill an extension of maternity allowance for fathers who are ineligible for paternity leave and pay or other statutory support.

Paul Scully: There are a number of entitlements that support partners in caring for their new baby and support the mother following birth. Employed partners who meet the qualifying criteria can take up to two weeks of paid leave between the birth of their child and the first 56 days following birth. In addition, partners who meet the eligibility criteria have access to paid annual leave, the Right to Request Flexible Working and Shared Parental Leave. Maternity Allowance provides an element of earnings replacement for pregnant women and new mothers who are not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay. This is because Maternity Allowance is intended to help a woman to stop working in the later stages of her pregnancy, and in the months after childbirth, in the interests of her own and her baby's health and wellbeing. There is no equivalent paternity allowance, as there are no equivalent health and safety considerations for fathers. The detailed content for the Employment Bill will be published in due course. In the meantime, we continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that the measures for the bill deliver on our plan to build a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy as we build back better.

Incinerators: Northwich

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the expansion of the proposed Northwich incinerator on (a) levels of heavy goods vehicle transit, (b) noise pollution and (c) air pollution in that local area.

Greg Hands: A public consultation into the Application for the proposed expansion of the Lostock Sustainable Energy Plant near Northwich in Cheshire, commenced on 4 November 2021 and will close on 2 December 2021. It is not possible to comment on the merits of a live planning application given the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in the decision-making process but he will take all relevant matters into account when he makes his decision.

Life Sciences

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to progress the delivery of the Life Sciences Vision.

George Freeman: The Government, NHS and Life Science Sector have already made significant progress in delivering the Life Science Vision. Activity since publication includes the establishment and delivery of the Life Science Scale Up Taskforce, work to improve the NHS’s capacity and capability to utilise new technologies, and innovation work by the Vaccine Taskforce and Antivirals Taskforce to secure access to cutting new technologies to address COVID-19. Following the conclusion of the 2021 Spending Review on 27th October, the Government has confirmed specific funds will be provided upfront to directly support the delivery of the Life Sciences Vision. This includes £95m funding to support the uptake of innovative drugs and technologies and address a number of the Healthcare Missions outlined in the Vision, drive new initiatives through Genomics England to deliver life-changing technologies, and £354m to strengthen the UK’s Life Sciences manufacturing base. This builds on significant programmes of investment in Health Research across DHSC and BEIS, and the largest ever increases in the NHS’s operating budget. The Office for Life Sciences are currently working with partner organisations to develop an implementation plan, which will deliver on the commitments as set out in the Life Sciences Vision. Further details on the implementation plan will be set out in due course.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services: Prisoners

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prisoners are residing in jail awaiting admission to mental health units in England as of 15 November 2021.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to extend the pilot scheme launched on 30 September 2020 in England for residents vaccinated abroad to request that their vaccines are uploaded to the national database to include UK citizens vaccinated in New Zealand.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure UK citizens who have received their Covid-19 vaccinations in New Zealand are able to receive an NHS Covid Pass.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS and Social Services: Migrant Workers

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2021 to Question 70322 on NHS and Social Services: Migrant Workers, if he will publish in any format available how many overseas NHS and care workers have received a reimbursement for the immigration health surcharge since the Government announced the policy in 2020.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Solitary Confinement: Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prisoners are being held in solitary conditions awaiting admission to a mental health bed in England as of 15 November 2021.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Travel: Coronavirus

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2021 to Question 67098 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of NHS England including records of covid-19 booster vaccinations in the NHS App in the context of the requirement by Israel and Austria of proof of a booster vaccination for specific travellers to those countries.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what date a third covid-19 booster vaccination will be displayed on the NHS covid pass.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, from what date a covid-19 booster vaccination will become a mandatory part of being considered fully vaccinated.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gambling: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on tackling gambling and gambling addiction in each of the last 10 years.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Coronavirus

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether private healthcare staff who are unvaccinated against covid-19 will be permitted to carry out NHS treatment.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Coronavirus

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether private healthcare facilities will be able to hire staff from the NHS who have not been vaccinated against covid-19 and who have subsequently lost their jobs as a result.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gambling: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to produce a gambling addiction strategy alongside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's gambling strategy.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the estimated number of covid-19 lateral flow tests being taken compared to the number of lateral flow test results being reported, in each of the last six months.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gambling: Public Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what public health approaches he is taking to prevent gambling and gambling addiction.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2021 to Question 67098 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, what his timescale is for assessing how booster vaccination records can be incorporated into the NHS COVID Travel Pass.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and ease of use of the Government’s covid-19 lateral flow test reporting platform.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gambling: Public Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the public health aspects of gambling as part of the review of the Gambling Act 2005.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gambling: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he will make available for gambling addiction services.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on ensuring that people who have had one of their two covid-19 vaccines abroad can obtain an NHS covid-19 vaccine pass in the UK.

Maggie Throup: Pilots are running at selected vaccination centres for residents to request their overseas vaccines are uploaded to the national database. The national deployment in December will be supported by online bookings.

General Practitioners: Recruitment

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to its commitment of November 2019, what progress his Department has made on increasing GP numbers by 6,000 by 2024-25.

Maria Caulfield: In September 2021, there were 1,841 more full time equivalent doctors in general practice compared to September 2019. We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England. This includes measures on recruitment, addressing the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encouraging them to return to practice.Last year, 3,793 number of doctors started general practitioner (GP) training, exceeding the target of 3,500. We have committed to increasing the number of GP training places to 4,000 a year from 2021, from 2,700 in 2014.

Social Services: Fees and Charges

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether money allocated to people under the Windrush Compensation Scheme is exempted from consideration in means testing for social care.

Gillian Keegan: Where a local authority charges a person for their care and support, they may take most of the income and benefits people receive into account when determining how much they should pay. This is unless it is specifically required to be disregarded by The Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014 or the associated statutory guidance. The Windrush Compensation Scheme is not currently disregarded, although we are keeping this under active review.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has advised the Government to adopt its covid-19 Plan B.

Maggie Throup: The Government's COVID-19 response continues to be driven by the latest available data and scientific evidence, including advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-groups. While SAGE provides advice on the potential impacts of ‘Plan B’ measures, the decision on whether to apply them rests with Ministers.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2021 to Question 59887 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, where the available trial locations are; and how members of the public can apply to take part in the trial.

Maggie Throup: One site is located in each of the following regions: East of England, London, Midlands, North East and Yorkshire, North West, South East and South West. There is currently one site per National Health Service region which will increase to 20 sites by the end of November.The Vaccine Data Resolution Service (VDRS) has contacted over 13,500 individuals who received a first dose abroad. Self-service booking is currently under development and is expected to be operational in early December.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2021 to Question 59887 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, what progress he has made on those trials; and whether his Department plans to make the service for recording overseas vaccinations publicly available from mid-November.

Maggie Throup: Due to the success of the pilot, the service came into operation on 11 October for United Kingdom residents.There is now one vaccination centre in every region in England and by early December there will be three sites per region. Self-service booking is currently under development to provide wider access and is expected to launch in early December.

HIV Infection: Disease Control

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the HIV Action Plan will measure progress in ending new HIV transmission against 2019 levels.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what new resources his Department is making available to ensure the delivery of the goal of ending new HIV transmission by 2030.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made in ensuring that PrEP is available in wider settings beyond sexual health services.

Maggie Throup: The HIV Action Plan is due to be published on 1 December 2021. The Plan will be followed by a monitoring and evaluation framework to be published in 2022, which will measure progress in ending new HIV transmission against 2019 levels.Local Government action on HIV testing and prevention is funded through the ring-fenced Public Health Grant. It was announced in the Spending Review that the Public Health Grant will be maintained in real terms for 2022/25. We will continue to invest in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through the Grant, with £11 million provided in 2020/21 and £23.4 million in 2021/22. We will set out our plans to expand the settings in which PrEP might be made available outside of sexual health services in the HIV Action Plan.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that up to date and accurate guidance is (a) available and (b) accessible to health workers delivering (i) third doses and (ii) booster covid-19 vaccinations for individuals who are severely immunosuppressed.

Maggie Throup: Information about third doses for immunosuppressed individuals and booster doses is contained in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) statements and the Green Book (Immunisation against Infection disease) COVID-19 chapter, which are available at the following links:www.gov.uk/government/publications/third-primary-covid-19-vaccine-dose-for-people-who-are-immunosuppressed-jcvi-advice/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation-jcvi-advice-on-third-primary-dose-vaccinationwww.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-booster-vaccine-programme-for-winter-2021-to-2022-jcvi-statement-november-2021/update-to-jcvi-advice-on-booster-vaccination-in-adults-15-november-2021www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-the-green-book-chapter-14aThe UK Health Security Agency also produces training materials, information and guidance for vaccinators delivering the programme which are available on GOV.UK. These materials are updated as rapidly as possible following any changes to the programme and are disseminated via NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will scale up the administration of the covid-19 vaccine (a) nationally and (b) in York.

Maggie Throup: There are more than 500 additional COVID-19 vaccination sites since April 2021, with 2,500 sites in England and 18 in York. The Department and the National Health Service continuously monitor data on the administration of the vaccines to increase capacity if required. Over 80% of the population in York aged 16 years old and over are now fully vaccinated. We remain focused on delivering booster vaccines to those eligible and vaccinating those in the 12 to 15 years old age group.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ask the NHS to allow people to book their appointments for booster covid-19 vaccinations in advance so that they can schedule an appointment immediately after the expiry of six months from the date of their second dose.

Maggie Throup: On 8 November, the National Booking Service was updated to allow those eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccine to pre-book their vaccination five months after their second dose.

Eating Disorders: Research

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of the additional funding for health-related research and development, as outlined in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, will be used on improving understanding of the (a) causes, (b) prevention and (c) treatment of eating disorders.

Maria Caulfield: The Spending Review settlement provides £5 billion for health-related research and development. The National Institute for Health Research’s budget will be finalised as part of a detailed financial planning process. The distribution across health research areas will be confirmed before funding is made available in April 2022.

Operating Theatres: Fires

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many surgical fires occurred in operating theatres in NHS England Trusts from April 2019 to October 2021.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2020 to Question 114184, what steps the national patient safety team at NHS England and NHS Improvement have taken to adopt the recommendations and guidance of the Expert Working Group on the prevention of surgical fires.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 24 November 2020 to Question 114184 on Operating Theatres: Fire Prevention, whether (a) his Department and (b) the Centre for Perioperative Care have taken steps to implement the recommendations and guidance of the Expert Working Group on the prevention of surgical fires.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to revise the NHS Never Events policy and framework to classify surgical fires in operating theatres as a Never Event.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will instruct NHS Improvement to require the Centre for Perioperative Care to consider preventative guidelines on surgical fires as part of the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures Redevelopment workstream.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England and NHS Improvement do not hold information on the number of surgical fires. The National Reporting and Learning System does not have a category to provide data on the number of surgical fires reported.NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to support the Expert Working Group and other stakeholders in development of guidance on the prevention of surgical fires in operating theatres, ensuring the Expert Working Groups recommendations are adopted and implemented across the National Health Service. The Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC) is a cross-specialty collaboration dedicated to the development of perioperative care of patients and are best placed to consider and incorporate the work of the Expert Working Group into their wider National Standards for Safety in Invasive Procedures. The NHS National Patient Safety Team will continue support the CPOC’s consideration of the work of the Expert Working Group.There are no plans to revise the NHS Never Events policy and framework to classify surgical fires in operating theatres as a Never Event. Such events are defined as serious incidents that are wholly preventable because national guidance or safety recommendations that provide strong systematic protective barriers are available and should be implemented by all providers. As there is currently no national guidance or safety recommendations to prevent surgical fires in operating theatres, these incidents cannot be defined as a Never Event. NHS England and NHS Improvement will review any new guidance on the prevention of surgical fires in operating theatres when it is published.

Ophthalmic Services

Simon Fell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to mandate Integrated Care Systems to implement the NHS England Eye Care Planning and Implementation Guidance 2021-22.

Maria Caulfield: While integrated care systems are expected to work autonomously, they should take into account NHS England and NHS Improvement’s priorities. The Eye Care Planning and Implementation Guidance 2021/22 explains how systems should plan local eye care recovery and transformation in line with the requirements of the NHS England 2021/22 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance.

Care Homes: Visits

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing measures to ensure that relatives of care home patients have visitation rights.

Gillian Keegan: We have provided guidance on care home visiting during the pandemic, which is kept under review. If a resident or their family have concerns that a care home is not following visiting guidance appropriately, it should be raised with the home in the first instance. The Care Quality Commission can also investigate complaints. Our guidance is clear that local authorities and care providers should enable and support care home visiting wherever it is safe to do so.

Pregnancy: Prisoners

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of healthcare provision services for pregnant women in prison.

Gillian Keegan: Healthcare in women’s prisons is commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement. All pregnant women in prison are entitled to receive the same range and quality of healthcare services as they would have access to in the community including midwifery, obstetric and health visiting services. A perinatal mental health service specification has been in place since February 2021 and a national maternity and post-natal service specification is expected to be launched nationally by spring 2022 to ensure that pregnant women in prison receive high quality, consistent and respectful care.The Women’s Estate Perinatal Pathway Steering Group, convened in January 2021, will work to support the needs of mothers and their babies in custody, share learning and best practice and identify learning from serious incidents. This group includes women with lived experience, commissioners from NHS England and NHS Improvement, HM Prison and Probation Service and private prison representatives, as well as statutory and non-statutory provider services.The newly formed National Women’s Health and Social Care Review Group, a partnership between NHS England and NHS Improvement and HM Prison and Probation Service, is undertaking a 15-month review to improve the health and well-being of women in prison. The review seeks to reduce inequalities, improve outcomes for women in prison and upon their release and ensure equity of access to the full range of high-quality health and social care services for women in prison. The outcomes of the review, including recommendations for implementation, will be reported in spring 2022.

Hospitals: Northwich

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that hospital treatment is accessible for the residents of Northwich; and to what services the funding provided by his Department to the Victoria Infirmary will be allocated.

Edward Argar: The Department is taking steps to ensure that hospital treatment is accessible for people across the country, including the residents of Northwich, by providing funding and encouraging innovation. £1.7 million funding has been confirmed for the development of diagnostics services at Victoria Infirmary, Northwich, as part of the National Community Diagnostic Centre programme. This will include the introduction of a CT scanner and expansion of some other diagnostic services, including x-ray, ultrasound, some cardio-respiratory testing and phlebotomy. Work on the Victoria Infirmary estate is expected to start by the end of November 2021.Following the recent decision not to relocate hospital facilities to the Weaver Square scheme in Northwich town centre, further discussions and plans for the wider development of the Victoria Infirmary site are ongoing. The department will continue to work with NHS England and NHS Improvement to support service provision by the National Health Service in the area.

Surgery: Finance

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to allocate NHS funding to (a) reduce joint replacement waiting times and (b) provide support to people waiting for surgery.

Edward Argar: We have provided £2 billion this year, plus £8 billion over the next three years, to increase elective activity and address waiting times. This could deliver approximately nine million more checks, scans and procedures, including services for those waiting for joint replacement surgery. In addition, £5.9 billion will be invested in creating additional capacity, including surgical hubs to focus on procedures such as joint replacement surgery. The Department is also working with the National Health Service to utilise data and provide patients with more information about waiting times.

Hospitals: Discharges

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he has issued to Clinical Commissioning Groups on implementing the four week discharge to assess pathway standard that has been implemented as a result of covid-19.

Edward Argar: Discharge funding currently supports up to four weeks of new or additional recovery care depending on the individual needs of the person being discharged. This is described in the discharge policy for all providers and commissioners, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-service-policy-and-operating-modelThere is no four-week standard for discharge practices, as the majority of people do not require additional care at the point of discharge or often require less than four weeks of care.

Joint Replacements: Waiting Lists

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were on waiting lists for joint replacement surgery in England as of 12 November 2021.

Edward Argar: Information is not available in the format requested. The current number of people waiting for trauma and orthopaedic services, which includes joint replacement surgery, is 700,000.

Cardiovascular Diseases: Surgery

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will prioritise cardiovascular care in the Government’s forthcoming delivery plan on tackling the elective surgery backlog.

Edward Argar: The elective recovery plan, due to be published before the end of this year, will set out the Government’s long-term ambitions for recovery. Prioritisation of services will continue on the basis of clinical need, followed by the length of waiting time.

Gastrointestinal System: Diseases

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) NHS England have made of the impact of the findings contained within the recent Getting it Right First Time national report on gastroenterology and on inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England are taking to ensure that best practice set out by the Getting It Right First Time programme in areas including inflammatory bowel disease are adopted throughout the NHS.

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies and those of NHS England of the gastroenterology Getting It Right First Time Programme National Specialty Report: Proposed Recommendations; and what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England plan to take in response to those recommendations in helping to ensure that people living with inflammatory bowel disease receive consistent care across the country.

Edward Argar: The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) national specialty report on gastroenterology was published in September 2021. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one of the conditions covered under gastroenterological services in the report. The report sets out actions and recommendations to improve patient care in gastroenterology. The aim is to reduce unwarranted variation in treatments and services in, which will ensure consistent care is provided to IBD patients across the country.The GIRFT programme is now embedded within NHS England and NHS Improvement’s programmes to improve quality and productivity, so that best practice is adopted throughout the NHS. NHS England and NHS Improvement are encouraging individual sites to evaluate how best to take forward these recommendations. The recommendation on IBD is estimated to reduce emergency admissions by 6,600 per year. The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement expect National Health Service trusts and clinical teams to consider how best they can implement these recommendations for individuals to ensure the consistent and high quality care for IBD and other gastroenterological conditions.

Care Homes: Visits

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Guidance on care home visiting, last updated on 23 August 2021, will next be reviewed by his Department, in response to the vaccine rollout and modelling of likely covid-19 transmission in autumn 2021.

Gillian Keegan: We regularly review and update guidance on care home visiting, based on clinical advice. We are undertaking a review of our visiting guidance ahead of the winter and expect to publish updated guidance shortly.Given the increased risk to care home residents compared with the wider population of COVID-19, the Government has put in place additional measures to keep people living in care homes safe. The measures that currently remain in place in care homes include testing, personal protective equipment and enhanced infection prevention and control measures. These measures are in place to protect residents and to facilitate safe visiting opportunities throughout the autumn and winter.

Neuromuscular Disorders: Research

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's announcement that £375 million will be made available for research into neurodegenerative diseases, published on 14 November 2021, how much and what proportion of that funding will support research that uses New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), such as the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues, artificial intelligence and organ-on-a-chip technology.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's announcement that £375 million will be made available for research into neurodegenerative diseases, published on 14 November 2021, whether the new Motor Neurone Disease Research Unit will focus on human relevant methods such as the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues, artificial intelligence and organ-on-a-chip technology.

Maria Caulfield: The Government delivers research on motor neurone disease (MND) through the Department of Health and Social Care, via the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and through the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Government has committed £50 million for MND research over the next five years through the NIHR and UKRI and to establish the NIHR’s MND Research Unit to coordinate innovative research applications.The NIHR and UKRI rely on researchers submitting high-quality applications to access funding. The usual practice of the NIHR and UKRI is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics, such as research on advanced cultures of human cells and tissues. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. We are launching a MND partnership call across Government and charity funders to support collaboration and accelerate the delivery of new treatments.The NIHR’s funding is focused on translational, clinical and applied health and care research. Research on the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues and organ-on-a-chip technology will therefore not be in the remit of the NIHR’s MND Research Unit. The NIHR has funding streams to support health and care research that involves artificial intelligence.

Disability: Children

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Disabled Children’s Partnership and Scope’s October 2021 report, The Gap Widens, what plans his Department has to use the £5.9 billion NHS covid recovery funding announced at the Spending Review on 27 October 2021, to tackle the £1.5 billion funding gap in disabled children’s health services.

Gillian Keegan: On 6 September, the Government announced plans to spend over £8 billion over the Spending Review period between 2022/23 to 2024/25 for a programme to assist the National Health Service to provide elective care delayed by the pandemic.We have also announced an additional £5.4 billion to support the COVID-19 response over the next six months, bringing the total Government support for health services in response to COVID-19 to over £34 billion in 2021/22. This includes £2 billion to tackle the elective backlog and reduce waiting times for patients, including disabled children.

Travel: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2021 to Question 56853 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, what the timescale is for the completion of the unblinding schedule, so that all Valneva clinical trialists can access an NHS Covid Pass for international travel.

Maggie Throup: We are unable to provide the information requested in order to protect the scientific integrity of the trial. However, clinical trial participants may choose to withdraw from an active study and become unblinded in order to receive an additional course of vaccination for international travel purposes.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of funding early mental health support hubs in communities across England with the aim of providing easy-to-access drop-in support for young people aged 11 to 25.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will support the introduction of early support hubs in each community across England to provide mental health support for young people who do not meet the threshold for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Gillian Keegan: While no formal assessment has been made, we are exploring the model of early access of support for children and young people’s mental health with stakeholders. There are currently approximately 60 ‘early support hubs’ in England providing early intervention and prevention services. They are locally designed and funded and often provide a range of services such as sexual health clinics or careers advice. Clinical commissioning groups and local authorities work with local partners to understand local needs and commission these services. Alongside the additional investment for children and young people aged 0 to 25 years old outlined in the NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20–2023/24, we are providing an additional £79 million in 2021/22 to expand children’s and young people’s mental health services. This includes accelerating the coverage of mental health support teams providing early support in schools and colleges. In addition, £15 million will be invested in local authority areas in the most deprived parts of the country to increase prevention and early intervention services. We are also raising awareness of the resources and guidance available to children and young people, their parents and carers through the ‘Every Mind Matters’ online platform.

Disability: Children

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to use the £5.9 billion NHS COVID recovery funding, announced at the Spending Review on 27 October 2021, to tackle the backlog in assessments for disabled children’s health services.

Gillian Keegan: On 6 September 2021 we announced over £8 billion for the National Health Service to provide elective care that was delayed by the pandemic for the Spending Review period 2022/23 to 2024/25. We also announced an additional £5.4 billion to support the COVID-19 response over the next six months, bringing the total Government support for health services in response to COVID-19 to over £34 billion in 2021/22. This includes £2 billion to tackle the elective backlog and reduce waiting times for patients, including disabled children.

Travel: Coronavirus

James Sunderland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing those under 16 with an NHS Covid Pass to evidence their vaccination status for travel overseas.

Maggie Throup: A small proportion of children over 12 years old have or will receive full vaccination following the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice. International standards for travel require a full course to be recognised as ‘fully vaccinated’. While there are some countries which require full vaccination for under 16 year olds, others treat under 16 year olds as fully vaccinated, accept testing, or in a small number of cases accept recovery as equivalent to full vaccination. We are exploring ways to provide fully vaccinated 12 to 15 year olds with a travel NHS COVID Pass.

Social Services: Labour Turnover

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the retention of care worker staff in (a) general and (b) trusts in which a high proportion of the workforce have left over the last 12 months.

Gillian Keegan: In September 2021, we announced an investment of at least £500 million for the adult social care workforce across three years to deliver new qualifications, progression pathways and wellbeing and mental health support. This will enable a five-fold increase in public spending on the skills, training and wellbeing of care workers, registered managers and others, with the aim of improving retention in the sector. Through the NHS People Plan we are also investing in staff wellbeing, flexible working and other retention initiatives. To address staffing challenges this winter, on 21 October we announced a new £162.5 million Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund for local authorities to manage workforce supply in their local areas.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much he expects local Clinical Commissioning Groups to spend on children and young people's mental health as a proportion of its annual budget.

Gillian Keegan: While clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for their own funding decisions, we would expect future funding for mental health services, including services for children and young people, to be in accordance with the Mental Health Investment Standard (MHIS). This requires CCGs to increase investment in mental health services in line with their overall increase in allocation each year. Furthermore, overall expenditure on children’s and young people’s mental health services has risen from £687 million in 2016/17 to £938 million in 2020/21.All CCGs met the Standard in 2020/21 and we are working closely with our NHS partners to ensure all CCGs continue to be compliant.

Travel Restrictions: Coronavirus

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure people travelling to countries, such as Israel, which require proof of three Covid-19 vaccination doses can provide appropriate certification to gain entry to those countries.

Maggie Throup: Booster vaccinations are currently not recorded on the NHS COVID Pass as they are not required for domestic certification in England or at the United Kingdom border. We recognise that some countries are altering their vaccination requirements, therefore we are keeping this under review.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to lay regulations to rescind Schedules 21 and 22 of the Coronavirus Act 2020.

Maggie Throup: Following the third six-month review of the Coronavirus Act 2020 in September 2021, the Government proposed that a number of provisions, including section 51 (Schedule 21) and section 52 (Schedule 22) be expired early, in line with the commitment to ensure only powers deemed necessary and proportionate remain in force. Expiry regulations were laid on 27 October.

Oral Tobacco: Health Hazards

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress has been made on Committee on Toxicity’s review of the toxicological risks associated with oral nicotine pouches; and what the planned timetable is for completion of that review.

Maggie Throup: The Committee on Toxicity of Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is considering tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches and the review is in progress. An initial discussion paper was presented to the Committee in May 2021 and further information was requested. This information is being prepared. It is currently estimated this work will be completed in mid-2022.

NHS 111

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for NHS 111 calls to be responded to by a clinician.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of delays in NHS 111 responding to calls on demand for ambulance services.

Edward Argar: The average waiting time for NHS 111 calls to be responded to by a clinician is not collected centrally. No such assessment has been made on the impact on the demand for ambulance services.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) support patients receiving cannabis-based treatment and (b) help ensure that they can continue to access that treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to NHS funded medicinal cannabis prescriptions.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to inform the clinicians listed on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council that they can legally prescribe medicinal cannabis to their patients.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that children with intractable epilepsy are able to access medicinal cannabis on prescription.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to empower clinicians to prescribe medicinal cannabis; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: Whether to prescribe any medicine is a clinical decision and the Government has enabled the prescription of cannabis-based products for medicinal use where it is clinically appropriate. The Chief Medical Officer and NHS England have written to doctors and pharmacists to highlight the available guidance on the prescribing and use of unlicensed medicines and to clarify the procedure for prescribing and supplying cannabis-based products for medicinal use. Health Education England has also published an e-learning module on medicinal cannabis.The licensed cannabis-based medicine Epidyolex is prescribed and routinely funded by the National Health Service for Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has recently approved Epidyolex for a third form of epilepsy and it is now being assessed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for this indication. The licensed medicine Sativex is also routinely funded to treat moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis. On 6 September, NHS England issued a reminder to clinical commissioning groups of NICE’s guidance relating to Sativex and will be monitoring its uptake.The latest NICE guidelines demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding decisions for unlicensed cannabis-based products on the NHS. The Government continues to support the establishment of clinical trials with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the National Institute for Health Research and from 1 April introduced a national patient registry to record patient outcomes. Since January 2020, the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service has been in place to provide advice and support for doctors to optimise the treatment of refractory epilepsy.

Surgery

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department’s elective recovery plan will include details on how (a) hospital bed and (b) surgical capacity should be prioritised to ensure the continuation of trauma and orthopaedic operations throughout the 2021 winter period.

Edward Argar: The Department’s elective recovery plan will set out the long-term ambitions for recovery. Prioritisation of services will continue on the basis of clinical need and then by the length of time patients have been waiting. Plans for bed and surgical capacity, including the continuation of trauma and orthopaedic operations, will be considered as part of winter planning.

Cardiovascular Diseases: Coronavirus

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on diagnosis of heart and circulatory diseases.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on treatment for heart and circulatory diseases.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people on the waiting list for heart-related surgery as of 12 November 2021; and what steps his Department plans to take to reduce that number.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of the Elective Recovery Fund on NHS treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Edward Argar: We have made no formal assessment of the potential effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the diagnosis and treatment for heart and circulatory diseases. We continue to engage with NHS England and NHS Improvement to build capacity and to reduce the NHS backlog in elective care.Data on the number of people waiting for elective services is not yet available for 12 November. The latest data as of September 2021, shows that there were 264,315 patients waiting for treatment in the cardiology speciality with 3,037 of those patients waiting 52 weeks or more for treatment. The number of total completed pathways per working day in the cardiology speciality was 2,542 in September 2021 or 105% of the activity levels in March 2020.In September, we announced a total of £2 billion this year for the Elective Recovery Fund. This will be used to reduce waiting times and increase activity for elective services, including treatments for cardiovascular diseases. No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the Elective Recovery Fund on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, but the intention is for the fund to improve all elective care services. An additional £8 billion has been made available across the next three years to reduce waiting times and transform elective services, including cardiovascular care. This could deliver the equivalent of around nine million more checks, scans and procedures.At the Spending Review, the Government announced an extra £5.9 billion to support elective recovery, diagnostics, and technology over the next three years. This includes £2.3 billion to increase the volume of diagnostic activity and establish a total of at least 100 community diagnostic centres for clinical tests, including diagnosis of heart and circulatory diseases. This will allow the NHS to carry out 4.5 million additional scans by 2024/25, enhancing capacity and enabling earlier diagnosis.

Department for Education

School Meals: Finance

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on increasing funding for Free School Meals, in response to the recent increase in the National Living Wage.

Will Quince: The department supports over 1.7 million pupils from the lowest income families to concentrate, learn, and achieve in the classroom through the provision of free school meals.The National Funding Formula (NNF) includes a free school meal factor value of £460 per eligible pupil. This factor value will increase to £470 per eligible pupil as part of the overall increase to the core schools budget for financial year 2022-23. Local authorities distribute this money to schools through their local funding formula, which must include additional funding for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as those eligible for free school meals.The department is investing a further £4.7 billion by financial year 2024-25 for the core schools budget in England, over and above the Spending Review 2019 settlement for schools in 2022-23. The £4.7 billion investment includes a further £1.6 billion in financial year 2022-23, on top of the year on year increase already announced as part of the 2019 spending round. This additional funding will help the school sector respond to the pressures we know they are facing. The NNF continues to distribute this fairly, based on the needs of schools and their pupil cohorts. The department will make announcements on the breakdown of the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 core school budgets in due course, as well as the distribution of the additional £1.6 billion of funding confirmed for 2022-23.

Government Departments: Anti-bullying Week

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues to encourage them and their Departments to mark Anti-bullying week 2021.

Will Quince: The Department for Education leads on anti-bullying policy in schools, and we work closely with the Anti-Bullying Alliance who organise Anti-Bullying Week in England and Wales. The Department for Education also works closely with other government departments including Government Equalities Office to co-ordinate anti-bullying week activity and have always maintained the stance that bullying should never be tolerated. The department has worked closely with cabinet colleagues to develop and share a number of resources and activity to support the week. As part of the departments commitment to supporting schools to tackle bullying, on 16 November it was announced that the department has made £1.1million of funding available for five anti-bullying grants to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those with SEND, those who are victims of hate-related bullying and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) based bullying. Details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-support-for-schools-to-tackle-bullying. The Department for Education has also participated in a range of media and social media activity in support of the week. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and other ministers, including myself, have taken part in ‘Odd Socks Day’ which is a signatory, annual event that begins anti-bullying week with participation from schools and professionals across the sector. It is a celebration of the things that make us different and unique. The department has also signposted to a range of resources and support to help schools to prevent and tackle bullying.

School Meals: Finance

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues in the Treasury on funding challenges in the school meals industry.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has contingencies in place in the event that school meal providers go out of business as a result of increasing funding pressures.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential implications of (a) funding and (b) supply chain pressures in the school meals industry.

Will Quince: Department officials hold regular meetings with other government departments and with food industry representatives, covering a variety of issues including public sector food supplies. The department routinely considers contingency arrangements and expect schools and catering companies supplying them to do the same. Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty. We are confident that schools will continue providing pupils with nutritious school meals as required by the School Food Standards. There is no evidence to suggest widespread disruption to education as a result of issues with food supply but in the event of any disruption to supply, we will work with councils and the sector to ensure nutritious meals can continue to be provided.

Electric Vehicles: South Yorkshire

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) students (b) mechanics in South Yorkshire have access to the (i) skills and (ii) training needed to service electric vehicles.

Alex Burghart: The department is committed to playing its part in supporting the labour market transition to net zero. This includes supporting key sectors including automotive and boosting green skills in regions such as South Yorkshire. Building on the Skills for Jobs White Paper and the recent publication of the net zero strategy, the department’s skills reforms will strengthen links between employers and providers, support workers in high carbon sectors with the transition, and help to build a pipeline of future talent. We have a range of existing programmes which support green skills for young people and adults in key sectors such as automotive. These include: Skills Bootcamps across England, including in electric vehicle maintenance. Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.The Emerging Skills Project in Electrification, which aims to encourage the adoption of cutting-edge skills in electrification technologies, such as battery-powered motors and drives, electric vehicle systems and software, battery maintenance, and recycling. The project is funding the development of short courses, teacher training support and free to access ‘up-skilling’ days in the latest electrification technologies.South Yorkshire’s local skills improvement plan Trailblazer and development fund pilot, which aim to make the local skills system more responsive to employers’ key skills needs. The Green Apprenticeship Advisory Panel (GAAP) has also endorsed the following apprenticeship standards that are available and relevant to electric vehicle service and repair:Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician (light vehicle), L3, ST0033.Autocare Technician, L2, ST0499 Working with employers, the GAAP will continue to review existing apprenticeships standards to ensure they can further accommodate skills needs linked to key green sectors including automotive. To support young people and adults to progress towards a green career, the department will ensure a strengthened system of employer-led standards are in place, underpinning apprenticeships, T-Levels, and new higher technical qualifications. We need employers in low-carbon sectors to play a central role in designing and developing qualifications and training; and demonstrate where there is demand for green skills, so that we can pivot our key skills programmes accordingly.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Education on the potential impact of the new requirement for care home workers to be fully vaccinated against covid-19 on health and social care students' ability to complete their (a) work placements and (b) qualifications.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure health and social care students who are under the age of 18 and unable to receive a second dose of the covid-19 vaccine are able to complete their work placements in care homes.

Alex Burghart: The government knows that vaccines save lives which is why, earlier this year, plans were set out to make COVID-19 vaccines a condition of deployment for adults in care homes to protect those who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. Vaccinated people are less likely to experience severe symptoms of COVID-19, be admitted to hospital or die from it and there is evidence that they are less likely to pass the virus on to others. The current exemption from the requirement to be fully vaccinated to work in a care home is expected to continue. This applies to those with specific medical conditions, pregnant women and those aged under 18 as set out in operational guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaccination-of-people-working-or-deployed-in-care-homes-operational-guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-of-people-working-or-deployed-in-care-homes-operational-guidance. 16 -17-year-olds who work in the health and social care sector, including students undertaking work placements, have been eligible for 2 vaccinations since the beginning of phase 1 of the vaccination programme roll out. Following the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's announcement, all 16–17-year-olds are now eligible for 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The department encourages further education providers to work with employers to understand the vaccination requirements for students undertaking work placements in their health or care setting. Further information can be found on the ACAS website and the guide for employers on gov.uk:https://www.acas.org.uk/working-safely-coronavirus/getting-the-coronavirus-vaccine-for-work.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-guide-for-employers/covid-19-vaccination-guide-for-employers.

Remote Education

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 2 November 2021 to Questions 62860 and 62861 on Remote Education, whether the Department’s Get Help with Remote Education guidance actively supports the use of (a) Google and (b) Microsoft products over challenger companies.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 2 November 2021 to Questions 62860 and 62861 on Remote Education, whether his Department plans to remove references to specific digital platforms from its Get Help with Remote Education guidance to avoid actively supporting or mandating individual products.

Mr Robin Walker: The guidance shares details of the digital platforms programme, which informs a school how to apply for a platform through our partners Microsoft and Google. Schools are also free to consider other providers with chargeable services in this area to deliver specific elements of online education, where they see fit.The digital platforms programme is closing to new applications on 30 November 2021, after which schools can continue to apply for free licensing of the Microsoft and Google platforms, directly with those companies, or seek alternatives.

Special Educational Needs

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing its guidance on excluding children with special educational needs with experts in the SEND sector.

Mr Robin Walker: In June 2021, the department launched a call for evidence on managing behaviour, including understanding how the best schools meet their duties in supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to be fully part of the school community and engaged with their education. This evidence will be considered and further assessed alongside the results of a forthcoming public consultation on the revised ‘suspension and exclusion guidance and behaviour in schools guidance’. Both sets of guidance will provide practical advice to the education sector to create calm, orderly, safe, and supportive school environments that support their pupils to succeed.

Pupils: Sanitary Protection

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to extend the free period product scheme for schools into 2022.

Will Quince: The government fully funds access to free period products in schools and colleges across England for students that need them. This scheme enables all students to participate fully in education by making period products available as and when they are needed.The Period Product scheme launched in January 2020, and it was continued into 2021. The Department for Education will make information available about any extensions or changes to the scheme in due course.

Ministry of Justice

Administration of Justice: Access

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2021 to Question 904111 on Administration of Justice: Access, what steps the (a) police and (b) CPS are taking to improve case file quality to help reduce the number of cases that are administratively finalised.

Victoria Atkins: As mentioned previously the Government recognises the importance of the timely delivery of justice and minimising delay is a key priority for the criminal justice system including, reducing the number of administratively finalised cases. The CPS and Police are committed to working closely with partners to ensure early engagement, proactive case management, robust case progression and effective and timely decision making.In January 2021, the CPS published updated charging guidance, which sets out the agreed position on what needs to be included in a file and has also updated its National File Quality Assessment tool, which will ensure there is consistent data on file quality.In March 2021, the CPS, NPCC and College of Policing publish a joint National Case Progression Commitment, a joint undertaking that builds on work conducted by all three organisations under the National Disclosure Improvement Plan (NDIP). Getting disclosure right is just one factor in ensuring meaningful, sustained improvement in case progression. Under this commitment they seek to address practical issues which present barriers to effective case progression as well as promoting a change in mindset towards proactive case management and progression.

Solitary Confinement: Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, under what circumstances can a prisoner be held in solitary confinement; and what legal conditions need to be met to hold a mentally ill prisoner in solitary confinement.

Victoria Atkins: HMPPS does not hold people in solitary confinement however, there are occasions where, for their own safety or that of others and in line with Prison Service Order (PSO) 1700 Segregation, prisoners are segregated from the main population of the prison. Prisoners can be segregated under a range of authorities, which are set out in Prison Rules. These are:Under Prison Rule 45 (YOI Rule 49) – Good Order or DisciplineUnder Prison Rule 45 (YOI Rule 49) – In his own interestsUnder Prison Rule 53(4) (YOI Rule 58(4)) – Prisoner awaiting an adjudication to start may be kept apart from other prisoners pending the governor’s first inquiry.Under Prison Rule 55(1)(e) (YOI Rule 60(f)) – Cellular confinement for a prisoner found guilty of an offence against disciplineUnder Prison Rule 55(1)(h) (YOI Rule 60(g)) – Removal from wing/unit for a prisoner found guilty of an offence against discipline Under PSO 1700, an initial healthcare screen should be completed by a doctor or registered nurse within two hours of a prisoner being placed in segregation to determine if continuing segregation can be authorised. Healthcare visits and assessments by a doctor and healthcare staff should take place regularly on segregation units to ensure that prisoners can be removed from segregation if there are any physical or mental health grounds to do so.

Question

Fay Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to help tackle cyberflashing.

James Cartlidge: The behaviour known as cyberflashing would likely be caught by one or more of a range of existing offences. However, to ensure that the law is up to date and fully equipped to protect victims from such abuse the Government asked the Law Commission to review the existing criminal law relating to harmful communications online and offline. The Law Commission has published its final report, and has made a number of recommendations, including the creation of a new offence to capture specifically cyberflashing.

Treasury

NHS England and NHS Improvement

Paul Bristow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answers of 9 July 2021 to Question 25963 and 14 September 2021 to Question 44455 on NHS England and NHS Improvement, whether the Chief Secretary to the Treasury received a detailed organisation breakdown from NHSEI, including the grade number, cost and relevant job descriptions broken down by team in each directorate; and whether the Chief People Officer and other relevant senior officials in NHSEI agreed to meet him to discuss spending taxpayers’ money responsibly.

Mr Simon Clarke: I am hoping to receive the information requested from NHSEI regarding the breakdown of their organisation very shortly. I am also seeking to arrange a meeting on this subject in the coming weeks.

Amazon Web Services: Taxation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has received assurances that Amazon Web Services will pay in full its UK taxes on all income earned with respect to its recently reported cloud computing contract with GCHQ.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of UK tax that Amazon Web Services will be liable for in relation to its recently reported cloud computing contract with GCHQ.

Lucy Frazer: The administration of the tax system is a matter for HMRC. It would not be appropriate for Treasury Ministers to become involved in the administration of the tax system in specific cases.

Annual Investment Allowance

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of business investments were covered by the Annual Investment Allowance in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Lucy Frazer: The annual investment allowance covered an estimated 17% of the 2019-20 plant and machinery investment reported by incorporated companies in CT600 returns. The data for unincorporated businesses is not available as the annual quantity of plant and machinery investment is not reported in self-assessment returns. The proportion of these investments covered by the annual investment allowance in 2020 and 2021 will not be available until HMRC has received and processed the relevant tax returns.

International Monetary System

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 4 November 2021 to Question 67246 on International Monetary System, what estimate he has made of the monetary value of 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income in the remainder of this Parliament.

Mr Simon Clarke: On 27 October the Office for Budget Responsibility published its Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which is accessible here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-october-2021/. It forecasts cumulative Gross National Income (GNI) over the 2021 Spending Review period (the financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25) to be £7,606 billion in nominal terms. 0.5 per cent of this GNI estimate is £38 billion. It forecasts cumulative GNI over the calendar years 2022 to 2024 to be £7,531 billion in nominal terms. 0.5% of this GNI estimate is £37.6 billion. The UK reports ODA spending on a calendar year basis in our annual Statistics on International Development publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development. In July, the Chancellor set out the responsible fiscal circumstances under which we will return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA: when the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s fiscal forecast confirms that, on a sustainable basis, the government is not borrowing for day-to-day spending and underlying debt is falling: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-07-12/hcws172. Given the government’s careful stewardship of the public finances and the strength of the recovery, these fiscal tests are now forecast to be met in 2024-25. As such, the 2021 Spending Review provisionally sets aside additional unallocated ODA funding for 2024-25, on top of departmental ODA settlements, to the value of the difference between 0.5% and 0.7% of GNI. The government will continue to monitor future forecasts closely and, each year over this period, will review and confirm, in accordance with the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015 Act, whether a return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA is possible against the latest fiscal forecast.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to reconsider the Draught Relief policy so that it will apply to drinks served from draught containers less than 40 litres in order to benefit a wider range of breweries.

Helen Whately: Our initial proposal is that the relief would apply to containers at least as big as the traditional firkin – a 40 litre cask. We will discuss the size of containers that will qualify for the relief with brewers as part of our consultation process.

Overseas Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2021 to Question 70297 on Overseas Aid, over what time period he plans to channel and disburse the up to £4 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) he announced at the IMF’s annual meeting.

John Glen: At the IMF’s Annual Meetings, the Chancellor committed to channelling up to 4bn in SDR, starting with an additional loan of SDR 1bn to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust. This loan will be drawn down over time by the poorest and most vulnerable countries at highly concessional interest rates.The needs and demands of vulnerable countries will continue to determine the time period over which the UK’s SDR channelling commitments are drawn down from the IMF by eligible countries, as the IMF’s concessional loan facilities are demand led.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Tuvalu: Climate Change

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the progress of projects funded by her Department that are designed to improve the resilience and adaptation to climate change for the people of Tuvalu.

Vicky Ford: Pacific Island Countries are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The UK provides a range of support across the Pacific to finance adaptation in order to increase resilience to climate change. Most UK aid in the Pacific is delivered through multilateral institutions such as the Green Climate Fund. The Green Climate Fund currently has two projects under implementation and in progress that benefit Tuvalu. The Tuvaluan Coastal Adaptation Project aims to protect Tuvalu from the impact of rising sea levels and increasing cyclone events that threaten the country. A second Green Climate Fund project aims to enhance the climate information services in five Pacific countries, including Tuvalu, and support increased climate-resilient sustainable development. The Green Climate Fund's performance was assessed as meeting expectations in its most recent FCDO Annual Review. Reviews of this nature assess performance at the portfolio-level, and do not look at individual projects

Sudan: Politics and Government

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken to (a) secure the release of Sudan’s prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok and (b) allow him to return to his position; and whether she has taken steps to (i) secure the release of  other detainees following the military coup in that country and (b) check on the condition of detainees following reports of torture.

Vicky Ford: We strongly condemn the actions of the Sudanese military on 25 October, including the continued detention of Prime Minister Hamdok and members of the civilian government and the unilateral appointment of a new Sovereign Council on 11 November. The Foreign Secretary made a statement on 5 November calling for the release of all those unlawfully detained and restoration of the civilian-led transitional government. We also reiterated that all detainees should be released as part of condemnation of the coup at UN Security Council meetings on 26 October and 11 November.We are deeply concerned by reports of torture or mistreatment of those who have been unlawfully detained since 25 October. Our Ambassador to Khartoum and other members of the diplomatic community in Khartoum have met with Hamdok to demonstrate UK support for his release and were able to ascertain that he is well, notwithstanding the circumstances, but still detained. On 9 November Troika (UK, Norway and US) Ambassadors met with General Burhan where they pressed him to release all detainees and urged the military to reverse their actions. We also secured unanimous support for a resolution on the situation in Sudan at a Special Session at the UN Human Rights Council on 5 November, which made clear the civilian-led government must be restored, detainees freed, and their human rights respected. With our international partners we continue to maintain public international pressure on the military to return to the democratic transition in order to deliver the freedom, peace and justice called for by the Sudanese people.

Sudan: Christianity

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to protect Sudanese Christians from persecution and harm since the military coup on 25 October 2021 in that country.

Vicky Ford: We strongly condemn the actions of the Sudanese military on 25 October, including the continued detention of Prime Minister Hamdok and members of the civilian government and the unilateral appointment of a new Sovereign Council on 11 November. Over the past two years, the UK has taken a leading role to support Sudan on their delicate path from oppressive autocratic rule to freedom and democracy. We welcome the progress made by the civilian-led government on the freedom of religion or belief since 2019, which included decriminalising apostasy declaring Christmas a national holiday and lifting public order laws that disproportionately affected Christian women. The acts of the military puts this progress at risk.I condemned the military's actions in the strongest terms in the House of Commons on 25 October and called for Sudanese people of all faiths to be able to meet to protest and to pray without fear of violence. The Foreign Secretary then made a statement on 5 November with a clear call for the release of all those unlawfully detained and the restoration of the civilian-led transitional government. We also secured unanimous support for a resolution on the situation in Sudan at a Special Session at the UN Human Rights Council on 5 November, which made clear that Sudan's civilian-led government must be restored, detainees freed, and human rights respected. We continue to maintain public international pressure on the military to return to the democratic transition in order to deliver the freedom, peace and justice called for by the Sudanese people and ensure that the gains of the last two years are not lost.

Nigeria: Terrorism

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Nigerian Government on tackling (a) banditry and (b) jihadist extremism in the north of that country.

Vicky Ford: The Government is concerned by increasing insecurity in Nigeria. The drivers of violence in the North are complex, often influenced by poverty, competition over resources, and a lack of alternative employment. Jihadist ideology is also a key driver of the conflict involving terrorist groups in the North East.We regularly raise this insecurity in Nigeria, including terrorist and criminal activity with the Nigerian Government. On 1 November I raised the issue of insecurity with Nigeria's Foreign Minister in the margins of the COP26 summit in Glasgow. The Prime Minister also discussed this with President Buhari in the margins of the Global Education Summit in July.We are providing a comprehensive package of humanitarian and stabilisation assistance to support communities affected by the conflict in North East Nigeria. We also continue to urge and support the Nigerian Government to take action to respond to conflict and implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence across the country.

GCHQ: Amazon Web Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the value of the recently reported cloud computing contract between Amazon Web Services and GCHQ is.

Elizabeth Truss: The national security community does not routinely avow details of the technology partnerships it enters into. Avowing details around national security technology can have potential security implications as would be the case in this scenario. However, any contract can be fully scrutinised through the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

Ghana: LGBT People

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Government of Ghana on the proposed anti-LGBT+ Bill currently before their legislature.

Vicky Ford: The UK stands firm with the LGBT+ community globally to affirm our commitment to the principle of non-discrimination on all grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. We make regular representations about LGBT+ rights, including to the Government of Ghana. We work through our High Commission in Accra, as well as international organisations, to promote non-discrimination towards LGBT+ people, and to address discriminatory laws.The UK acknowledges Ghana's democratic reputation and respects Ghana's Parliamentary process. However, we fully support the position of the United Nations Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in condemning the arbitrary arrest of activists and the discriminatory nature of the draft Private Members Bill.Ghana has historically been a champion of tolerance, inclusion and human rights. The UK encourages Ghana to reaffirm its opposition to all forms of discrimination and uphold the human rights provisions enshrined in Ghana's Constitution, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the principles of both the African and Commonwealth Charters.

Mali: Armed Conflict

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions has he had with his French counterpart on assisting those affected by the recent attacks in Mali.

Vicky Ford: The UK is in regular contact with France about the security situation in Mali and the political uncertainty facing the country, including at the UN, via our expanded diplomatic presence in Mali and through our respective Sahel Envoys. Together with France and other partners we have called for elections and a return to constitutional rule in line with the conditions set out by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and supported ECOWAS in urging the Malian government to reconsider their engagement with Wagner in light of the implications that any deal would have on stability. The UK is committed to building long-term peace and stability in Mali and the wider region, while supporting those most affected by conflict. We are deployed to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and support the French counter-terrorism operation Barkhane. We also have a significant humanitarian programme and provide funding for stabilisation and conflict resolution.

British Nationals Abroad: Arrests

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department offers to UK dual nationals arrested in (a) the country in which they are also a citizen and (b) third countries.

Amanda Milling: If a dual British national is detained in the country of their other nationality, we would not normally offer support or get involved in dealings between the British national and the authorities of that state. We may make an exception to this rule if, having reviewed the circumstances of the case, we consider that the British national is vulnerable and we have humanitarian concerns. However, the help we can provide will depend on the specific circumstances of the detention and the country of the British National's other nationality agreeing to it.If a dual British national is detained in a third country we offer the same support as we would for mono-British nationals. They do not need to be travelling on a British passport.

Indonesia: War Graves

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she visited the Jakarta Commonwealth War Cemetery in Menteng Pulo during her visit to Indonesia on 11 November 2021.

Amanda Milling: The Foreign Secretary did not visit the Jakarta Commonwealth War Cemetery during her visit to Indonesia from 10-12 November. However, the Foreign Secretary did attend the Remembrance Sunday commemoration in Whitehall.

British Council: Finance

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the reduction to funding to the British Council will have on its operations in Europe and the Americas; and whether she expects British Council offices to close in those regions.

James Cleverly: Funding for the British Council has not been reduced. The FCDO has supported the British Council during a uniquely challenging time for the Council who were acutely affected by the pandemic. At its peak, over 90 per cent of the organisation's teaching and exams centres were forced to shut. FCDO has allocated over £600 million since the start of the pandemic to secure the Council's future within a challenging economic climate. This includes a 2021/22 Spending Review settlement totalling £189 million, a 27% increase on funding for 2020/21. Whilst we have had to make difficult decisions in other areas, funding for the Council increased overall.Choices around the shape of the Council's network in Europe, the Americas and the rest of the world are still being considered. Ultimately is a matter for the British Council to determine along with delivery of their work via technology and digital services, which the Council has invested in and which has rapidly expanded as a result of the pandemic. The British Council will continue to operate in over 100 countries promoting the English language, UK arts and culture and education.

Guatemala: Judiciary and Rule of Law

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the closure of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) in September 2019 and the dismissal of Juan Francisco Sandoval as Head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity in Guatemala (FECI) in July 2021 on the independence of the judiciary and rule of law in that country; and whether her officials have made representations to their Guatemalan counterparts on those issues.

Wendy Morton: The UK Government works actively to uphold the rule of law and democracy across Central America. We joined other international partners in condemning the previous Guatemalan Government's decision to close the UN-sponsored International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala ('CICIG'). The UK Government is concerned about the circumstances surrounding the removal of the head of the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity ('FECI' in Spanish). I (Minister Wendy Morton) also expressed my concern via Twitter on 8 June and 29 July, noting that the removal undermines the fight against corruption, and efforts to uphold the rule of law in Guatemala. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has made representations regarding this issue to the Guatemalan Ambassador in London, and the Government of Guatemala via the British Embassy in Guatemala.

Question

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help the digital sector create partnerships through the Three Seas Initiative.

Wendy Morton: The UK Government supports the aims of the Three Seas Initiative, which align closely with our own: building back better, addressing the drivers of climate change, and addressing our shared geopolitical challenges. The UK will continue to explore options for deeper engagement with both the Initiative and the associated Three Seas Investment Fund, including sharing expertise on areas of UK excellence such as digital, infrastructure, and clean energy.

Legal Representation: British Nationals Abroad

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department provides to British citizens who urgently need legal representation abroad.

Amanda Milling: Our consular staff endeavour to give appropriate and tailored support to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. What we can and cannot do is set out in Support for British nationals abroad: A guide, available on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide). We help around 30,000 British nationals abroad every year. Cases range from supporting those who have been victims of crimes or had accidents while in another country, through to complex, long-running consular cases such as people detained overseas, injured or who have been killed in suspicious and non-suspicious circumstances.To support British nationals detained overseas and their families, the FCDO can offer general information about the local police system and legal system, including any legal aid that is available. British embassies, high commissions and consulates around the world also maintain lists of local interpreters and local lawyers for British nationals (who may require these services in the country they are in). These lists are available on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/list-of-lawyers#e). We cannot provide legal advice because such support is best provided by independent professionals, and we do not have the funding or expertise to provide these specialist services. Where the death penalty is applicable, we can put British nationals in touch with The Death Penalty Project (www.deathpenaltyproject.org) who provide free legal assistance and advice to British nationals facing the death penalty, and Reprieve (www.reprieve.org.uk), who work to prevent the execution of any British national detained overseas.

India: Arrests

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2021 to Question 65499 on India: Arrests, whether she has made representations to the Indian Government on the recent arrest of three Indian Muslim students for cheering Pakistan in the T20 world cup.

Amanda Milling: The FCDO engages with India on the full range of human rights matters, and we raise our concerns with the Government of India where we have them. We look to India to uphold all freedoms and rights guaranteed in its strong constitution, and by the international instruments to which India is a party.

Trials: British Nationals Abroad

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with allies through international organisations to promote access to fair trials for British citizens abroad.

Amanda Milling: The assistance we can, and cannot, provide to British nationals abroad is set out in Support for British nationals abroad: A guide, available on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-britishnationals-abroad-a-guide). This also sets out who we can help, and that the level and type of assistance we offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case and local conditions. If a British national is not treated in line with internationally-accepted standards, which may include if their trial does not follow internationally-recognised standards for a fair trial, we will consider approaching local authorities. We encourage all countries to comply with international human rights obligations, including the right to a fair trial, in multilateral fora. We also continue to have conversations with a broad range of likeminded countries on key human rights issues.

Hong Kong: China

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the extension of China's Foreign Anti-Sanctions Law to Hong Kong on (a) HSBC and (b) other UK-based banks.

Amanda Milling: The Government monitors the operation and functioning of the financial sector and its participants on an ongoing basis, and does so across a wide range of matters. However, we do not comment on issues relating to individual companies.

Hong Kong: British National (Overseas)

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with HSBC on allowing British National Overseas passport holders to withdraw their Mandatory Provident Fund pensions early.

Amanda Milling: The Government has raised our concerns with the relevant authorities. Hong Kong's Mandatory Provident Fund Authority is unfairly disrupting people's livelihoods by refusing to accept the British Nationals Overseas (BNO) visa when Hong Kongers apply for early withdrawal of their pensions. This is preventing Hong Kongers from accessing funds they are entitled to.

HSBC

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential for HSBC to split its operations outside of China and Hong Kong in response to China's National Security Law.

Amanda Milling: The Government monitors the operation and functioning of the financial sector and its participants on an ongoing basis, and does so across a wide range of matters. However, we do not comment on issues relating to individual companies.

HSBC

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with HSBC executives on the freezing of bank accounts of Mr Ted Hui and other pro-democracy activists.

Amanda Milling: The Government engages in regular dialogue with businesses active in Hong Kong and as a matter of course monitors the operation of the financial sector and its participants. Financial institutions operating in Hong Kong do so within a strict legal and regulatory framework. We are concerned that a number of recent decisions by the authorities in Hong Kong are further evidence of a determined campaign to stifle opposition and silence dissent. As a signatory to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, China must abide by the legally binding commitments it made to uphold fundamental rights and freedoms, and respect Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years from 1997.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: National Archives

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government procurement exercise reference TNA406, published on 11 November 2021, what discussions he has had regarding which of the collations of service records maintained by the National Archives should be selected as priorities for digitisation, licensing and publication.

Leo Docherty: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and The National Archives (TNA) are in the first year of a six-year project, working to transfer almost 10 million service personnel records from MOD to TNA. The initial focus that has been agreed between MOD and TNA is on the transfer of records that cover Army “other ranks” and overseas regiments. This approach has been based on factors including the age-profile and physical presentation of these records. It is understood that TNA is planning for over 99 per cent of the records that will be transferred in the first year to go forward for digitisation, licensing and publication.

Clyde Naval Base: Fire and Rescue Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2021 to Question 68118 on Clyde Naval Base: High Rise Flats, what the maximum height is of the ladders used by firefighting crews at HMNB Clyde to tackle high rise fires.

Jeremy Quin: The Defence Fire crew has available to them a 13.5 metre ladder for external access up to the 3rd floor. For external access above the 3rd floor, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have the capability to provide a High Reach vehicle capable of reaching the upper floors and roof.

Department for Work and Pensions

Jobcentre Plus: Interpreters

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that Jobcentre Plus clients who need interpreters are provided with interpreting services at appointments with their Work Coach.

Mims Davies: DWP offers interpreting and translation services under the Language Services Contract, currently provided by The Big Word. All DWP staff, including Work Coaches, have access to spoken and non-spoken face to face interpreting, telephone interpreting, British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation through the video relay services, and written translation. These services are readily available to support customers who have additional communication needs.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on the rollout of yellow card warnings in place of immediate benefit sanctions.

Mims Davies: We have not committed to rollout yellow card written warnings in place of immediate benefit sanctions. We are still looking into this process by undertaking a series of small-scale Proof of Concepts. This was delayed due to the pandemic. We are working to complete all testing before making an assessment of the merits of extending such a system.

Family Resources Survey

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including data at a local authority area level in the household food insecurity element of the Family Resources Survey.

David Rutley: The Family Resources Survey is designed to produce robust regional estimates and does not include all local authorities each year so is not suitable for analysis at the Local Authority level.

Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what date all personal independence payment applicants will be offered the choice of an audio recording at their assessment.

Chloe Smith: At present, claimants may use their own equipment to record their Personal Independent Payment (PIP) face to face assessment, should they wish to and in line with the conditions laid out in the PIP Assessment Guide. The option to request an audio recording of their PIP telephone assessment is also available with both assessment providers. The department is currently working with PIP assessment providers to deliver an audio recording service for face to face assessments, that removes the requirement for the claimant to provide the equipment. Work is also ongoing to introduce an audio recording facility for video assessments. This will bring the audio recording of face to face and video assessments in line with the recording of telephone assessments and we aim to complete both as soon as it is practically possible.

Universal Credit

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many waivers were granted for universal credit overpayments classed as official error in financial year 2020-21.

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many waivers have been granted for universal credit overpayments with the classification of official error in financial year 2021-22 to date.

David Rutley: The table below details the number of waivers of Universal Credit Official Error overpayments granted in the requested years: Financial YearNumber of UC Official Error overpayments where recovery was waived2020/202192021/2022 (April to October)5Please note that this data is taken from operational data systems, and is not intended for publication. Therefore, the data itself is not quality assured to the standard of published Official Statistics and National Statistics. DWP pays welfare benefits to around 23 million people and is committed to ensuring that the right people are paid the right amount of Universal Credit. The vast majority of benefit expenditure (more than £200bn across all benefits last financial year) is paid correctly, with front line staff working hard to prevent overpayments from occurring. Where an overpayment does occur, the Department has a responsibility to taxpayers to recover the money without creating undue financial hardship. Universal Credit overpayments are recoverable, irrespective of how they arose. Where recovery is made by deduction from Universal Credit, there is a limit placed on the overall amount that can be deducted. Formerly 40% of the Universal Credit Standard Allowance, this was reduced to 30% in October 2019 and again to 25% in April 2021. A waiver can only be granted where the recovery of the overpayment is causing substantial medical and/or financial hardship, and where clear evidence of this can be provided. However, any claimants struggling with the proposed rate of deductions are encouraged to contact DWP Debt Management to discuss affordability, so that a lower repayment rate can be negotiated as appropriate.

Children: Maintenance

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a modifying ​the Child Maintenance Service variation process in relation to mileage to ensure that the paying parent is able to claim mileage and travel costs without specifying distance to avoid the risk of the receiving parent becoming aware, through disputed mileage claim distances, of the area the paying parent resides in.

Guy Opperman: In order for a Paying Parent to claim mileage and travel costs through a variation, they must provide the Child Maintenance Service with the total distance in order for the Service to calculate the costs correctly. This ensures the calculation is a fair reflection of the additional costs incurred by the Paying Parent and meets the requirements set out in legislation. This also ensures transparency in decision making so that both parents are able challenge any decision that affects the child maintenance liability. The safety of all customers is a priority for the Service and it will never share sensitive personal details that could reveal the location of either parent.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on defending initial decisions made at benefit or health assessments which were then overruled at a tribunal, in the most recent year for which data are available.

Chloe Smith: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department took to ensure that disabled people were adequately engaged during the recent Health and Disability green paper consultation.

Chloe Smith: In the 18 months prior to the formal launch of the consultation, we ran a significant engagement programme to ensure that the views of disabled people and their representatives shaped the content of the consultation. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we continued to engage with a series of virtual events organised with national charities, and a series hosted by MPs from across the political spectrum, attended by individuals and organisations from their constituencies. The Green Paper was published on 20 July 2021 in a variety of accessible formats. These include braille copies, a British Sign Language video with an audio track and subtitles, a large print version, a full audio version available digitally and on CD and an easy read version. Throughout the consultation period itself, we held more than 40 events with disabled people, people with health conditions and their representatives, including a series of virtual events as well as face-to-face events across the UK.

Universal Credit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2021 to Question 68249 on Universal Credit, what proportion of the £67.8 million deducted from universal credit claims as a result of Government debt in May 2021 was as a consequence of (a) non-fraud Tax Credit Overpayment, (b) non-fraud DWP Benefit Overpayment and (c) non-fraud Housing Benefit Overpayment.

David Rutley: For Universal Credit claims with a payment due during May 2021, £67,800,000 was deducted to repay Government debt, of which: (a) 56% (£37,700,000 ) for Tax Credit Overpayment (non-fraud)(b) 30% (£20,500,000) for DWP Benefit Overpayment (non-fraud)(c) 5% (3,500,000) for Housing Benefit Overpayment (non-fraud) As a Department, we carefully balance our duty to the taxpayer to recover overpayments, with our support for claimants. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and in April we further reduced the cap on deductions from Universal Credit awards. Customers can contact DWP if they are experiencing financial hardship in order to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances. Fraud and error in the benefit system is rare, with 95% of benefits worth more than £200bn paid correctly and just 0.4% of benefits being overpaid due to DWP error. Notes1) Figures are provisional and subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.2) Amount deducted rounded to the nearest 100,000 and percentage rounded to the nearest percent.3) Government debt includes: DWP Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Tax Credit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Housing Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Social Fund Loan, Recoverable Hardship Payment, Administrative Penalty, Civil Penalty, Eligible Loan Deductions, Integration Loan.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dogs: Imports

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Intra-Trade Animal Health certificates were issued for dogs entering the UK in each month of 2021 to date.

Jo Churchill: Following departure from the EU, all imports from the EU should be notified via IPAFFS, attaching the relevant health documentation to the notification. The information below has been collated from PIMS (APHA’s Post Import Management System) and does not account for all Imports that may have entered using Traces NT rather than IPAFFS.  The only data APHA can provide from IPAFFS is the number of Importer Notifications that have been submitted for commercial dogs. Intra-Trade Animal Health certificates are no longer issued for imports from the EU.  Number of Importer Notifications received for commercial imports of dogs to the UK in 2021January771February4089March5449April5397May4893June3850July4612August4235September4933October4076November to 16/11/212827  The information that APHA have provided from IPAFFS is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. APHA cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by a third party.

Pets: Sales

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to regulate the online sale of pets.

Jo Churchill: This Government takes the issue of low-welfare and illegal supply of pets very seriously. My department supports the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) which was created to combat growing concerns about the irresponsible online advertising of pets for sale, rehoming and exchange. We have backed the set of Minimum Standards that PAAG developed which many of the UK's largest classified websites have agreed to meet. Illegitimate sellers remaining anonymous by using online platforms is an issue for pet theft as well, as stolen dogs can be sold to unsuspecting buyers through untraceable adverts. The Government’s Pet Theft Taskforce recommended that we encourage sales platforms to implement more identity checks to improve the traceability of sellers, and to encourage the use of cashless transactions. Defra will continue to work with PAAG to ensure that pet theft is a core consideration for improvements to sales platforms. Meanwhile my department maintains a national communications campaign (Petfished) to raise awareness of issues associated with low-welfare and illegal supply of pets. This includes providing clear signposting on where responsible breeders and rehoming centres can be found and encouraging prospective buyers to research the seller thoroughly before they visit and decide to purchase. The campaign provides a list of red flags for buyers to look out for when searching for a pet online. More information can be found here: https://getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk/ Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a 12-month period needs to have a valid licence from their local authority. Licencees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards, including provisions to protect dogs from being bred from too often or at an early age, which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. Any licensee advertising dogs for sale will need to include their licence number in the advert and specify the local authority who issued the licence. Additional requirements placed on advertisements include that the age of the dog for sale must be displayed along with a recognisable photograph.

Dogs: Imports

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs were imported using the Pet Travel Scheme in (a) August, (b) September and (c) October 2021.

Jo Churchill: Dogs imported into GB under the Pet Travel Scheme2021AugSeptOctDogs21,51919,98417,051  The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.

Fisheries

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect and promote the UK fishing industry; what his timescale is for providing details of new measures to boost capacity to attract new entrants into the industry to sustain and improve employment opportunity; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: Opportunities for new entrants are essential for safeguarding the UK fishing industry’s future. It is important to recognise that the industry itself has many of the levers it needs to attract people into the sector, with many of the more far-sighted organisations taking active measures. In addition, the Government is working closely with regional fisheries groups, Producer Organisations and representative bodies to understand how best to encourage more resource into the industry while also considering examples of best practice from around the world. The £100 million UK Seafood Fund was announced by the Prime Minister on 24 December 2020 and includes a Skills and Training pillar to support industry’s efforts, by providing new courses to fill gaps and augmenting existing courses to improve take-up and retention of new entrants. In addition, funding support is available across the UK from fishing administration funding schemes. In England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme supports industry with funding for a variety of areas, including job opportunities and support for new entrants, apprenticeship schemes and lifelong training.

Home Office

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the EU Settlement Scheme Policy Equality Statement (PES) dated 22 May 2019, published on 7 September 2021, and the section on page 27 on Evidence of abuse by non-EEA nationals, detailing the National Risk Assessment approach towards undocumented non-EEA family members, which has been redacted from the up-to-date PES, and pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2021 to Question 56477, on Immigration: EU Nationals, when the National Risk Assessment is used; under what circumstances the National Risk Assessment is used; and what the outcome was of the most recent National Risk Assessment.

Kevin Foster: The National Risk Assessment is not used in connection with EU Settlement Scheme applications and is no longer produced.

UK Border Agency: Shipping

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to seek a UK supplier for the replacement of the Border Agency’s existing cutter and coastal patrol vessel fleet.

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the procurement process for the replacement of the UK’s cutter and coastal patrol vessel fleet will be covered by the warships exception set out in Item 47 of Annex 4 of the coverage schedules certified as part of the UK’s accession to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to replace in full the existing Border Force fleet of five cutters and six coastal patrol vessels; and whether she has made an estimate of the cost of replacing those cutters and vessels.

Damian Hinds: The Budget on 27 October 2021 announced funding of £74m over the spending review period for the replacement of Border Force’s current fleet of five Cutters and six Coastal Patrol Vessels. [The full cost of the programme, including beyond the SR period, is being developed]Reflecting this we are taking steps to initiate a delivery programme which will include a strategic assessment of how best to maintain and enhance these capabilities.The procurement process will support operational delivery, wider government objectives and value for money. It will be conducted in line with all relevant legislation and agreements and will appropriately reflect the nature of Border Force operations. My officials continue to work closely with the National Shipbuilding Office, which is leading activity on the refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Anti-bullying Week

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had has with the Minister for Women and Equalities on her Department's plans to mark Anti Bullying Week 2021.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office is running a series of events across the week in order to mark Anti Bullying Week 2021.Events include:Tackling Bullying Harassment and Discrimination (BHD) - ‘One Year On: One Kind Word’‘Shared action, learning and insight’ Hear from colleagues across the Department on their BHD workMeet the People Committee on BHD Working Group members - Hear from strategic leaders on how they are tackling BHD Hosted by Co-Chair of People Committee on BHD Working GroupThis week also marks a year since the introduction of the department’s Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination (BHD) Programme.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what target timescale she has set to open the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

Victoria Atkins: The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme is not yet open and remains under development. However, the first to be resettled through this scheme will be some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – including women’s rights activists, prosecutors and journalists.Further information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the ACRS is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September, available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2021 to Question Number 59946 on Refugees: Afghanistan, what the (a) longest and (b) median length of stay is of Afghans evacuated under Operation Pitting who remain in hotel accommodation.

Victoria Atkins: Operation Pitting took place from 13-28 August 2021. A significant cross Government effort is underway to ensure the thousands of Afghans who were evacuated to the UK receive the support they need to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education, and integrate into local communities. We have had to use hotels to accommodate those evacuated as a temporary measure due to unprecedented demand. In the meantime, we are providing wrap around support to enable families to start to build successful lives in the UKWe are continuing to work with local authorities to source appropriate accommodation as quickly as possible and we carefully match families and individuals with this accommodation taking into account length of time in the UK, family size, vulnerability and accessibility requirements.Guests are regularly moving across the bridging hotel estate and into permanent housing based on the criteria above and it is currently not possible to provide the longest and median length of stay within the hotels as a result of these moves.

Fireworks: Crime

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the data her Department holds on all crime committed (a) in relation to and (b) involving fireworks.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office collects and publishes information on notifiable offences recorded by police forces in England and Wales.Offences committed in relation to and involving fireworks are not included in the list of notifiable offences and so no information is held centrally by the Home Office.

Migrant Workers: Wind Power

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2021 to Question 58819 on Migrant Workers: Home Office, what steps her Department is taking to assess whether firms involved in the construction or maintenance of wind farms within territorial waters have measures in place to regularise the position of their workers, in line with the terms of the concession; and what criteria UK Visas and Immigration use as part of that assessment.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2021 to Question 58819 on Migrant Workers: Home Office, how many letters have UK Visas and Immigration received from employers under the terms of the concession as of 15 November 2021.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) publish the process for reviewing the Offshore Wind Workers Immigration Rules Concession 2017 and (b) take steps to include maritime trade unions in that process.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2021 to Question 58819 on Migrant Workers: Home Office, what UK Visas and Immigration’s annual (a) costs and (b) staff hours are from (i) administering and (ii) reviewing the concession from 2017 to the latest year for which figures are available.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office does not collect or store the data on the number of overseas nationals working in the offshore industry in the UK from 2017 to date.We do not collect information on employers using the concession. The Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies which is consistent with the wider immigration system.The Home Office is unable to report on the cost or staff hours spent in relation to the concession. To obtain this information would require detailed reporting against many Home Office units and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs. The Government regularly reviews the existence of concessions against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.The information about the concession is published online at:Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Visas: Agriculture

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2021 to Question 903764 on Agri-food Industry: Labour Shortages, how many visas have been issued for (a) HGV food drivers, (b) poultry workers and (c) fuel tanker drivers.

Kevin Foster: With regards to fuel tanker drivers, I refer the Honourable Member to my response to the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale’s question of 26 October (63690).Details of the numbers of temporary work visas granted for HGV drivers and poultry workers will be published in the usual way via the Home Office’s quarterly immigration statistics.

Migrant Workers: Wind Power

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2021 to Question 58819 on Migrant Workers: Home Office, how many visas have been issued to foreign nationals arriving for work in UK territorial waters under the terms of the concession as of 15 November 2021.

Kevin Foster: Home Office Migration Statistics do not publish the number of seafarers who have been granted leave to enter the UK to join vessels working in UK territorial waters under the Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession.To capture numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Abortion: Clinics

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on establishing buffer zones to protect people (a) accessing and (b) providing care at abortion clinics.

Rachel Maclean: The Government is clear that it is unacceptable that patients seeking healthcare advice or staff working in healthcare facilities should feel intimidated or harassed. This country has a proud history of allowing free speech, but the right to peaceful protest does not extend to harassment or intimidating behaviour and the law currently provides protection against such acts.The Home Office takes the matter of protesters outside abortion clinics extremely seriously and recognises the adverse impact that anti-abortion protests can have on patients and staff. This is why the Home Office is keeping this important matter under review following the public call for evidence.My officials regularly liaise with national policing leads to assess if there have been any developments on protest activities outside abortion clinics.

Hate Crime

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to tackle the increase of violent hate crimes in (a) Leicestershire and (b) England.

Rachel Maclean: All forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable.Whilst the biggest driver for the increase in recorded crime is general improvements in police recording, along with increased victim willingness to come forward, we cannot be complacent. That is why we have committed to publishing a new Hate Crime Strategy this year to set out the Government’s plan for tackling these abhorrent crimes.The Government will continue to work with the police and stakeholders to understand what more can be done to address hate crime trends.

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether money allocated to people under the Windrush Compensation Scheme is exempted from consideration in means tested financial assessments.

Damian Hinds: Payments made under the Windrush Compensation Scheme are disregarded in the calculation of Universal Credit and other DWP means-tested benefits.This means that the money paid to claimants in compensation will not be taken into account when eligibility for these benefits is assessed.

Rafał Ziemkiewicz

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what basis Rafał Ziemkiewicz was denied entry to the UK in October 2021; and who made that decision.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office does not routinely comment on Individual cases.

Muslim Brotherhood

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission a new review of the Muslim Brotherhood to update the 2015 review; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: There are no plans to conduct a further full cross-government review of the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK.The Government continues to monitor the current intelligence picture in order to assess potential threats where required.

Members: Correspondence

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Minister for Afghan Resettlement plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Tottenham dated 18 October 2021 regarding the processing of Afghan asylum cases, reference ZA52298.

Kevin Foster: The Minister for Safe and Legal Migration responded on 15 November 2021

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to repeal section 8 of the Local Government Act 1894; if he will issue guidance and clarification to local councils as a matter of urgency on its current scope and effect; and if he will make a statement.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government has no current plans to repeal or issue guidance on section 8 of the Local Government Act 1894.

Permitted Development Rights

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will prioritise (a) publishing the responses and outcome to the consultation Supporting defence infrastructure and the future of time-limited permitted development rights and (b) implement proposals to extend the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, that would allow hospitality businesses to continue to utilise appropriate outdoor space for trading, in order that businesses and local authorities can plan beyond 1 January 2022.

Christopher Pincher: The consultation closed on 14 November and we are currently analysing the responses received. Further announcements will be made shortly.

High Rise Flats: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to offer financial support to leaseholders of high-rise apartments facing remediation costs for non-cladding related building defects.

Christopher Pincher: Government support is focused on cladding because unsafe cladding acts as an accelerant to fire spread, and funding will remove the biggest obstacle to remediation proceeding. Government funding also covers the cost of any works which are integral to the safe removal and replacement of an unsafe cladding system.   This can include associated costs such as fire cavity barriers where they are integral to the cladding replacement. Detailed information on works eligible for funding can be found in the Building Safety Fund prospectus, available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings#prospectus---outlining-eligibility-for-the-fund .   Our guidance is clear that building safety is the responsibility of building owners and we have given advice on a range of safety issues to provide clarity.

First Time Buyers

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many homes have been built under the First Homes scheme.

Christopher Pincher: In order to make First Homes available to local people and key workers as soon as possible, the First Homes Early Delivery Programme encourages housebuilders to convert Market Sale homes currently under construction to First Homes. Over the summer we announced the launch of the first three First Homes sites in Derbyshire, Staffordshire and County Durham as part of the First Homes Early Delivery Programme, where homes are continuing to become available on the market. Homes England also concluded a procurement process in October to deliver 1,500 First Homes by March 2023. The outcome of this procurement will be announced in due course.

Derelict Land: Regeneration

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2021 to Question 69103, on Derelict Land: Regeneration, whether his Department used a methodology to forecast that the £1.8 billion funding for brownfield regeneration would create 160,000 homes.

Christopher Pincher: I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 65447 on 2 November 2021 and Question UIN 64643 on 1 November 2021 regarding the details of the funding.

Permitted Development Rights

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department conducted an impact assessment on the changes announced in respect to Class MA of permitted development rights, which came into effect on the 1 August 2021.

Christopher Pincher: We aim to publish a full Regulatory Impact Assessment on the measures in due course and in accordance with the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

Permitted Development Rights

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2021 to Question 33952 on Permitted Development Rights and the Written Statement of 1 July 2021, Official Report, HCWS145, if his Department will publish the analysis on the changes announced in that Written Statement.

Christopher Pincher: An analysis of the implication of the changes in the policy for Article 4 directions, in order to comply with the public sector equality duty, as required by s149 of the Equality Act 2010, was undertaken. A summary of this analysis is included in the Government Response to the National Planning Policy Framework and National Model Design Code: Consultation Proposals which was published on 20 July 2021. [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/national-planning-policy-framework-and-national-model-design-code-consultation-proposals/outcome/government-response-to-the-national-planning-policy-framework-and-national-model-design-code-consultation-proposals]

Social Rented Housing: Health Hazards

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that social housing providers tackle cases of damp and mould.

Christopher Pincher: The Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social Housing White Paper set out commitments on how we will improve the lives of social housing residents including on housing quality.We are working with the Regulator of Social Housing to create a strong, proactive consumer regulatory regime, strengthening the formal standards against which landlords are regulated, requiring them to be transparent about their performance so they can be held to account, to put things right when they go wrong and to listen to tenants through effective engagement. The Housing Ombudsman Service has been expanded and its powers increased so it will make decisions more quickly and can take stronger action against landlords where needed. These new powers enabled the publication of the Housing Ombudsman's recent important report on damp and mould which made 26 recommendations for landlords including greater use of intelligence and data to prevent issues; reviewing communications with tenants to improve tone and making better use of previous complaints and disrepair claims so landlords can learn from them.Social homes must be safe and decent. A key commitment of the Social Housing White Paper was to review the Decent Homes Standard. Part 1 of this review is underway and has considered how any revised Standard can help tackle damp and mould.

Private Rented Housing

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the average private let rents of buy-to-let properties are compared to the rents of social housing landlords, in each region of the UK.

Christopher Pincher: The Department holds data from both the English Housing Survey and the Office of National Statistics on the average private and social sector rents by region. These data sets can all be found on the GOV.UK website.

Scotland Office

Seed Potatoes: Scotland

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment his Department has made of the contribution to the economy of the Scottish seed potato sector.

Mr Alister Jack: My officials and I are in regular contact with counterparts from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Scottish Government on a range of issues of importance to the seed potato sector in Scotland, including assessment of the contribution the sector makes to the economy. The Scottish potato sector’s output contributes over £208 million to the economy. They are exported to over 40 countries worldwide. The Scottish horticulture and potato sector accounts for a sixth, nearly 17% of Scottish agricultural output by value, despite using less than 1% of Scottish farmland. Scottish agriculture employs over 67,000 people and generates a gross output of £3.3 billion annually, directly resulting in a contribution of some £1.3 billion to the Scottish economy.

Seed Potatoes: Scotland

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with representatives of the Scottish seed potato sector.

Mr Alister Jack: My officials and I are in regular contact with a range of stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including representatives of the Scottish seed potato sector.

Seed Potatoes: Scotland

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the impact of leaving the EU on the Scottish seed potato sector; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Alister Jack: The UK Government is continuously monitoring the agriculture sector and is in regular contact with EU counterparts to help mitigate trade issues, including in relation to seed potatoes.

Seed Potatoes: Scotland

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a) the Northern Ireland Executive and (b) the Government of Ireland on Scottish seed potato exports.

Mr Alister Jack: My officials and I are in regular contact with the Northern Ireland Executive on a range of issues including those affecting the agri-food sector, most recently at an Inter-Ministerial Government EFRA meeting. The UK Government is in regular contact with the Government of Ireland on similar issues.

Edinburgh Prison: Coronavirus

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many cases of covid-19 have been identified at HMP Edinburgh as of 12 November 2021.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps (a) his Department and (b) HM Prison Service is taking to prevent outbreaks of covid-19 at HMP Edinburgh.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many cases of covid-19 were identified at HMP Edinburgh during October 2021.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many cases of covid-19 have been identified at HMP Edinburgh since 1 November 2021.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what covid-19 testing requirements are in place for inmates at HMP Edinburgh as of 12 November 2021.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how often inmates at HMP Edinburgh are tested for covid-19.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what additional steps are being taken to protect inmates at HMP Edinburgh with underlying health conditions from covid-19.

Mr Alister Jack: The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not hold the relevant information that is being requested. Both public health and prison management are policy matters devolved to the Scottish Government who will be able to provide the information requested.

Cabinet Office

Amazon Web Services: Contracts

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total value is of Government cloud computing contracts with Amazon Web Services since 2014; and how that compares with the total value of Government cloud computing contracts with the largest domestic UK supplier over the same period.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the total value of Government cloud computing contracts (a) awarded to Amazon Web Services and (b) awarded to that company by direct award for each financial year since 2014.

Michael Ellis: Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.Publicly available spend data provided by the Crown Commercial Service reports that spend associated with these contracts totals at £371m through G-Cloud Framework Agreements since its 7th iteration up until the present time.

Football

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Prime Minister last met the Chief Executive of the Premier League.

Michael Ellis: Details of Ministers’ official meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK.

Civil Servants: Migrant Workers

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the operation of the civil service of widening civil service nationality rules to include non-UK nationals with indefinite leave to remain.

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason civil service nationality rules exclude non-UK nationals with indefinite leave to remain in the UK from working in the civil service.

Michael Ellis: The Civil Service Nationality Rules reflect a long-standing legislative framework and govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality. Under the rules, there are routes for Commonwealth or EEA nationals who hold indefinite leave to remain to be eligible to work in non-reserved posts in the Civil Service. Existing routes, such as exemption certificates, are available where a role needs to be filled by someone who would not ordinarily meet the standard eligibility requirements.

Blood: Contamination

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending financial compensation to bereaved parents and children of people given contaminated blood.

Michael Ellis: Sir Robert Francis QC has been appointed to carry out an independent study to provide Government with advice and recommendations about a potential framework for compensation to the infected and affected communities. The terms of reference of the study includes consideration of whether compensation should be extended to parents and children. These can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infected-blood-compensation-framework-study-terms-of-reference.

Amazon Web Services: Contracts

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Amazon Web Services’ cloud computing contract with GCHQ provides for a minimum of 10 per cent social value in line with public procurement policy; and if he will publish details of what those social value commitments are.

Michael Ellis: It is government policy not to comment on or discuss details of national security contracts.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: Economic Models

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the internal review of trade modelling announced by her Department on 1 July 2020, when the results of that review were reported to Ministers; what steps she has taken as a result of that review; and if she will publish the report and recommendations provided by the review team.

Penny Mordaunt: The Modelling Review Expert Panel (which is external to the Department for International Trade (DIT)) has concluded their review. DIT is currently reviewing their recommendations and will provide an update on this review in due course.

Department for International Trade: CitySprint

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to contract reference 287415/1012191, published on 9 November 2021, for what reason her Department required a courier service for a four day period from City Sprint UK Ltd.

Penny Mordaunt: The City Sprint UK Ltd courier service has provided the collection and delivery of building related goods between the Department for International Trade properties on an ad-hoc basis. This includes items such as documents, parcels and mail. The services have been received between April 2021 and October 2021. Due to systems limitations the duration is incorrectly reported as 4 days and we are seeking to correct this.

Trade Agreements: New Zealand

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she plans to complete the trade deal with New Zealand.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government reached agreement in principle on a free trade agreement with New Zealand on 20 October 2021. We are currently working towards signature and finalising the text of the treaty with New Zealand; as well as performing a legal scrub of the text, in accordance with what was agreed at agreement in principle.

Trade Agreements: Australia

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what changes she plans to make to the methodology set out in the UK-Australia FTA strategic approach, published on 17 July 2020, for calculating the (a) total, (b) regional and (c) sectoral impact of the UK-Australia trade agreement; and for what reasons those changes may be made.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what changes she plans to make to the methodology set out in the UK-New Zealand FTA strategic approach, published on 17 July 2020, for calculating the (a) total, (b) regional and (c) sectoral impact of the UK-New Zealand trade agreement; and for what reasons those changes will be made.

Penny Mordaunt: The government is committed to a transparent approach to its new free trade agreements and will publish an independently scrutinised impact assessment when treaty text is laid in parliament. As part of the process towards producing all of its analysis, the Department for International Trade constantly reviews and improves its methodologies to ensure they are as robust and accurate as possible and reflects best global practice. The methodology underlying our analysis and the rationale for methodological changes will be described in full in our published impact assessments.

Foreign Investment in UK: China

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the implications of liquidity shortages in the Chinese economy for UK (a) businesses and (b) infrastructure projects that are heavily reliant on Chinese inward investment.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the implications of liquidity shortages in the Chinese economy for UK businesses that are heavily reliant on exports of goods and services to China.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the implications of liquidity shortages in the Chinese economy for outward investment in China by UK (a) investors, (b) businesses and (c) finance companies.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the exposure of UK (a) investors, (b) exporters, (c) finance companies and (d) export finance to (i) unpaid debts and (ii) loan defaults arising from liquidity shortages in the Chinese economy.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for International Trade, alongside other government departments, closely monitors trends and events in the Chinese economy and maintains close contact with British companies with trade and investment interests in China, supporting them as necessary. The United Kingdom’s financial regulators have ensured the financial system is resilient. It is for British companies to assess what changes in China’s economic conditions, and Chinese policy changes, mean for them. UK Export Finance (UKEF) actively monitors its portfolio. As of 31 October 2021, UKEF’s exposure in China was around £200m, mainly related to supporting exports in the airline sector. UKEF has not had any issues around unpaid debts or defaults with its exposure in China.

Trade Agreements

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the full methodology her Department used to assess the impact of free trade agreements on as of (a) 17 July 2020, (b) 23 October 2020, (c) 15 June 2021 (d) 20 October 2021 and (e) 5 November 2021.

Penny Mordaunt: The methodology used to assess the impact of our free trade agreements is described in full in each of our published analyses.

Healthcare UK: Private Sector

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the full list of private-sector companies and organisations for which Healthcare UK has provided (a) consultancy, (b) training, (c) export promotions services and (d) trade show support.

Mike Freer: It is not the policy of the Department for International Trade to release information into the public domain on companies to which it has provided export support. To do so, we would need the explicit permission of those organisations.

Department for International Trade: Telephone Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, under the terms of the contract agreed by her Department on 26 August 2021 for provision of an Export Support Services Contact Centre, how many full time equivalent individuals were employed in the roles, or equivalent roles, of (a) team leaders, (b) back office agents, (c) advanced agents, (d) intermediate agents and (e) entry-level agents as of 12 November 2021.

Mike Freer: The Export Support Service Contact Centre is delivered by 24 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) UK based call handling agents, who are managed by 2 FTE Team Leaders.

Department for International Trade: Film London

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to her Department's letter of agreement with Film London/British Film Commission of 5 October 2021, what elements of production support Film London/British Film Commission have been contracted to provide; and what indicators have been agreed to measure their performance against the contract requirements.

Mike Freer: The British Film Commission (BFC) is the national organisation responsible for maximising and supporting inward investment screen production. The UK was among the first countries in the world to realise the growth potential of High-End TV (HETV). This contract is a continuation of a long-term agreement between the Department for International Trade (DIT) and BFC, for the BFC to promote HETV inward investment and offer production support, that has delivered a strong track record of success in attracting such productions to the UK. As with all DIT funding agreements, there is a robust evaluation framework in place against which the BFC’s performance will be assessed.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Safety

Richard Burgon: What steps the Government is taking to help tackle harmful content online that encourages or assists suicide.

Chris Philp: The draft Online Safety Bill will make companies more accountable for protecting people online, with all platforms having to identify and remove content that encourages suicide.They will also have to ensure children are prevented from accessing material which promotes suicide or self-harm.If platforms fail in their duties under the Bill, they will face tough enforcement action including fines of up to 10% of global annual qualifying turnover.

ICT: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to produce a UK national cloud strategy; and how much the Government plans to invest in the UK domestic cloud computing sector.

Chris Philp: In September, Go-Science set out an authoritative report into the provision of large scale computing for the government, of which cloud computing will be an important part. We have no plans to publish a UK national cloud strategy but the government recognises that cloud will be an important enabler in delivering a range of government digital policies and the objectives set out in the recently published Artificial Intelligence strategy, the National Data Strategy and our National Cyber Security Strategy. The forthcoming Digital Strategy will set out a vision for the UK's digital future as a whole.

Question

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to consult on the future of Channel 4.

Julia Lopez: The government has consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 as part of our review of the public service broadcasting ecosystem.The public consultation ran for 10 weeks before closing on 14 September. We received around 60,000 responses.We are analysing every response to make sure we come to an informed decision on whether a change of ownership is the best way to secure Channel 4’s future.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club: Racial Discrimination

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the allegations of racism affecting Yorkshire County Cricket club on Black and minority ethnic people.

Nigel Huddleston: There is no place for racism in sport or anywhere in society. I am extremely concerned by the recent reports of racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and welcome the steps taken by the ECB to launch an investigation into the matter. This must be transparent and swift, for the benefit of cricket. The ECB must carry out their investigation unhindered, but the Government will be monitoring the situation at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the ECB closely, and will take further action if needed.The government is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, which is at the heart of our strategy ‘Sporting Future’. In June 2021 Sport England, UK Sport and the other home nations’ sports councils published the results of a detailed, independent review into tackling racism and racial inequality in sport.The findings make clear that racism and racial inequalities still exist within sport in the UK and that there are long standing issues, which have resulted in ethnically diverse communities being consistently disadvantaged. Each council is now working at pace to develop their own specific action plans to further deliver on these commitments and address the recommendations from the review.In addition, the forthcoming update of UK Sport and Sport England’s Code for Sports Governance will place an increased focus on diversity in decision making and ensuring that sports organisations reflect the community they serve. Sports receiving the most funding will be required to agree a diversity and inclusion action plan with Sport England and UK Sport, which will be published and updated annually.There is still more to do though, and we will continue to work with all sports to combat racism both in person and online.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the findings from the final round of the Events and Research Programme will be published.

Nigel Huddleston: The Events Research Programme has now concluded. DCMS continues to work closely with other government departments and will be publishing the final Events Research Programme findings shortly.

Motor Sports: Environment Protection

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to tackle the environmental impact of auto racing.

Nigel Huddleston: Motorsports, as with other sports, operate independently of the government, setting their own rules and regulations in line with those of their International (Sport) Federations and relevant overarching legislation.I note the work of many motorsports bodies in their environmental impact, such as Formula 1 aiming to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and with the growth of new disciplines such as Formula E.

Personal Records: Armed Forces

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government procurement exercise reference TNA406, published on 11 November 2021, who has been responsible for deciding which of the collations of service records maintained by the National Archives should be selected as priorities for digitisation, licensing and publication.

Julia Lopez: The National Archives and the Ministry of Defence are in the first year of a 6-year project to transfer almost 10 million service personnel records to The National Archives. The National Archives has chosen to focus first on the transfer of records that cover Army ‘other ranks’ and overseas regiments. This approach is based on factors including the age-profile and physical presentation of these records. Over 99% of the records that will be transferred during year 1 will go forward for digitisation, licensing and publication.

Personal Records: Armed Forces

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which of the collations of service records maintained by the National Archives covers personnel from (a) officer ranks and (b) other ranks from the British Indian Army serving in the British Army at the end of the Second World War.

Julia Lopez: The British Indian Army was administered by the India Office and its historic records are held by the British Library. Although The National Archives does not hold service records relating to personnel from the British Indian Army, it does hold some records relating to casualties and decorations (TNA Series WO 429, WO 430, WO 432, WO 433).

Personal Records: Armed Forces

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which of the collations of service records maintained by the National Archives covers personnel from (a) officer ranks and (b) other ranks from the East Africa Force serving in the British Army at the end of the Second World War.

Julia Lopez: The National Archives and the Ministry of Defence are in the first year of a 6-year project to transfer almost 10 million service personnel records to The National Archives. Collations of service records that include personnel from the East Africa Force serving in the British Army at the end of the Second World War have not yet been transferred to The National Archives.

Tiktok

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what representations her Department has made to TikTok, the social networking service, in relation to videos posted on that platform that target teachers with abuse; and what steps she plans to take in the Online Safety Bill to help tackle that issue.

Chris Philp: Online abuse is unacceptable and the government is liaising with TikTok on how it is protecting its users in this matter.Under the draft Online Safety Bill, companies in scope will need to minimise and remove illegal content including criminal online abuse targeted at teachers.Major platforms will also need to address legal but harmful content for adults.These companies will have to set out clearly what legal content is acceptable on their platforms and enforce their terms and conditions consistently and transparently.If platforms fail in their duties under the Bill, they will face tough enforcement action including fines of up to 10% of global annual qualifying turnover.

Channel Four Television: Privatisation

Mick Whitley: What assessment she has made of the impact of the potential privatisation of Channel 4 on jobs in the independent media production sector.

Julia Lopez: The government’s decision on the future of Channel 4, including its role with the independent production sector, will be informed by the responses to our recent consultation, which are still being analysed.We are pleased that the UK’s independent production sector is flourishing and has become less reliant on income from PSBs over the years. Between 2008 and 2018, the contribution of PSB commissions to sector revenue fell from 64%-42%. But Channel 4 - and other PSBs - still has an important role to play in supporting independent production and the wider creative economy.Whatever decision is made, it will not compromise the government’s commitment to this sector. Channel 4’s ability to work with independent producers is a strength to be celebrated and maintained into its future, and is not at odds with private investment.

Telecommunications: Infrastructure

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department has made on analysing responses to its consultation on reform of the Electronic Communications Code which closed on 24 March 2021.

Julia Lopez: Officials in my Department have finished reviewing the responses received during the consultation and are preparing the Government’s response, which will be published in due course. Reforms will be brought forward as part of the Product Security and Telecommunication Infrastructure Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech in May 2021.

Telecommunications: Infrastructure

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a streamlined negotiation process for access agreements under the Electronic Communications Code to allow for the installation of full fibre broadband in Multi Dwelling Units.

Julia Lopez: The Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act gained Royal Assent in March 2021. This Act aims to address one stated policy barrier: making it easier for telecoms companies to access multi-dwelling units - such as blocks of flats - where a tenant has requested a new connection, but the landlord has not responded to requests for access rights.The Act inserts a new Part 4A to the Electronic Communication Code which provides a process that telecommunications operators could use to gain code rights to multi-dwelling premises for a defined period. This only applies where:a lessee in occupation in a multi-dwelling building has requested a telecommunications service from an operator.to connect the property the telecoms operator requires an access agreement with another person such as the landlord.the landlord has not responded to the telecoms operator’s request for access.My Department published a consultation which sought views on the terms which will accompany the interim Code rights provided to operators who have successfully applied for an order made under Part 4A of the Electronic Communications Code. The consultation closed on Wednesday 4 August. Responses are being considered and the consultation response will be published in due course, with regulations laid as soon as possible.

Gambling: Advertising

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to take steps to reduce gambling advertising during school run hours, in the context of analysis from Nielsen which found that approximately 1,200 hours of such advertisements aired during those times over the last 12 months.

Chris Philp: All gambling advertising, wherever it appears, is subject to strict controls on content and placement. Adverts must never be targeted at children or vulnerable people, and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) has recently announced changes to further restrict content that may appeal to vulnerable people, with a further announcement on measures to protect children expected shortly. Radio adverts are subject to a pre-clearance regime through RadioCentre and radio advertising receives a very low volume of complaints, accounting for only 2% of all cases investigated by the ASA in 2020.Children’s exposure to gambling adverts through radio remains very low, with research from Ipsos Mori for GambleAware in 2020 finding that radio advertising accounted for only 1% of children and young people’s reported exposure to gambling adverts. However, it is our understanding that at least one major gambling operator has committed not to run radio adverts during ‘school run’ periods in response to Nielsen’s findings.As part of our wide-ranging Review of the Gambling Act 2005 we are looking closely at the rules around gambling advertising and carefully considering the evidence of its impacts. A White Paper setting out future direction of travel will be published in the coming months.

Internet: Herefordshire

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve internet connections in Herefordshire.

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the rollout of fibre broadband in Herefordshire.

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of poor internet connectivity on rural communities in Herefordshire.

Julia Lopez: The government is committed to delivering lightning-fast, reliable broadband to everyone in the UK, including in Herefordshire. Extensive delivery of gigabit-capable broadband is under way in Herefordshire currently through contracts under the government’s Superfast Broadband Programme which are managed by the Fastershire broadband partnership which covers Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.The government will ensure near-universal access to gigabit broadband through the £5 billion Project Gigabit programme. Given the current active delivery within Herefordshire, the regional supplier procurement for the area has a targeted start date of February - April 2023, before a contract commencement date of January - March 2024. Earlier local supplier procurements are also available as an option. In addition, communities in Herefordshire which are not in scope for commercial coverage are able to use the government’s gigabit voucher scheme to gain early gigabit coverage.For very hard to reach premises which are unlikely to be cost-effective to reach with fixed gigabit broadband, the government is reviewing the responses to its call for evidence which closed in the summer in order to determine the best possible options for improving broadband connectivity.Evidence on the impacts of superfast broadband is contained in the Evaluation of the Superfast Broadband Programme.

COP26

UN Climate Change Conference 2021: Invest Glasgow

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the President of COP26, whether the Government has placed any restrictions upon Invest Glasgow at COP26 in respect of exhibiting at that Conference.

Michael Ellis: As COP26 Presidency, we are working to encourage the innovation and commitment of everyone – people, business, countries, cities and regions – as we move the global economy to net zero emissions. That is why we undertook an Expression of Interest process for UK Government managed spaces, to ensure we can hear and harness the expertise, insight and experience of those driving climate action. Invest Glasgow was involved in Glasgow City Council's exhibition in the COP26 Green Zone.

UN Climate Conference 2021

Andrew Lewer: To ask the President of COP26, whether external parties are able to (a) participate in and (b) make contributions to decision-making at COP26 via an open, transparent and accountable process, including through engagement with the members of the UK delegation to that conference.

Michael Ellis: We ensured that civil society, businesses, cities and regions, Indigenous Peoples, youth, gender and frontline groups impacted by climate change could participate in Presidency events. This included contributing to the World Leaders Summit and side events, as well as to the UK Pavilion and the Green Zone for anyone who registered their interest. Non-party observer groups have been able to observe the negotiations and we have sought their views on a range of negotiations issues.

Climate Change

Rachael Maskell: To ask the President of COP26, what steps he will take to include civil society in the delivery of COP26 outcomes.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the President of COP26, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that environmental and climate charities are facilitated in supporting the outcomes of COP26.

Michael Ellis: With their links to on-the-ground communities, environmental and climate charities drive change. Their knowledge and leadership is necessary to deliver effective local climate solutions. This is why the COP Unit has a dedicated civil society and youth engagement team which works with environmental and climate charities to amplify the voices of those most impacted by climate change.The COP President also established an International COP26 Civil Society and Youth Advisory Council. This group met regularly in the run up to COP26. Its insight was fundamental to the planning and delivery of the summit.

Climate Change: Business

Rachael Maskell: To ask the President of COP26, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure transparent accountability of (a) businesses and (b) public sector bodies on their delivery of COP26 objectives.

Michael Ellis: We have been encouraging all businesses to set science-based emission reduction targets by joining the Race to Zero. This has been one of the requirements for businesses to participate in UK-managed spaces of COP26. Race to Zero members commit to report publicly both progress against interim and long-term targets, as well as the actions being taken, at least annually.The government has also recently announced three distinct new policies that can help public procurers fully embed net zero into their work. One of these requires suppliers who are bidding on central government contracts (over £5 million p/a in value) to commit to achieving net zero by 2050 and to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan. We are sending a clear signal to the market: data on carbon impact - and immediate ambition to reduce it - will be increasingly important in how we choose to do business.

UN Climate Conference 2021

Ruth Jones: To ask the President of COP26, how many members of the Government attended the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

Michael Ellis: Alongside the Prime Minister and COP President, 33 Ministers from 15 different Departments attended COP26. Ministers supported the delivery of COP26 through participation in Presidency theme day events and engagement with international counterparts to help secure COP objectives.

Women and Equalities

Transphobia

Munira Wilson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to reduce transphobia in the (a) media, (b) NHS and (c) UK.

Mike Freer: The Government is clear that transphobia is unacceptable and has no place in British society. We are working across Government to tackle transphobia, homophobia and biphobia. This action includes working with stakeholders to tackle transphobic hate crime, and we have committed to publishing a new Hate Crime Strategy later this year.Also announced this week, the Department for Education has confirmed funding for five leading organisations, worth over £1 million in total, to support schools and colleges in championing tolerance and respect as part of their responsibility to tackle all forms of bullying.On tackling transphobia in the media, the Government’s Online Safety Bill will deliver a ground-breaking new system of accountability which will require internet companies to protect users from online abuse, and will make it easier to report harmful activity. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will also be examining the current advertising regulatory framework to make sure it is equipped to tackle online harms.Within the NHS, a range of activity is in place to ensure that transgender people receive appropriate support and do not face discrimination. This includes the provision of Gender Identity Clinics and training for staff. NHS England also runs the Rainbow Badges scheme which is an initiative that enables staff in participating Trusts to demonstrate to service users that they offer open, non-judgemental and inclusive care for patients and their families, who identify as LGBT.Next year, we will be holding Safe To Be Me: A Global Equality Conference, which will bring together government representatives, businesses, civil society and international parliamentarians to address the safety of LGBT people at home and abroad.